I learned very quickly to be careful about looking back too much. I made sure to learn from my mistakes, but tried not to second guess myself.
I have always done everything I can to build relationships and surround myself with friends and colleagues I trust… A Network gives you Reach, BUT a Community gives you Power!
Relationships are like muscle tissue, the more you engage them, the stronger and more valuable they become.
A great mentor drilled into me that some friends will be for when you just need someone to listen and offer comfort; some will be for when you need advice and support. And others will ALWAYS be there. Learn to differentiate (have told this to my girls again and again… such an important lesson).
Modeling myself after people I admired… not those I am jealous of.
I was always prepared to reinvent myself, and have many times:
- Ask why aren’t you happy, why do I want to reinvent?
- What are you passionate about — can you make it a career? If you can’t make it a career, perhaps a side gig or pastime.
- Once you make the decision to do it, go for it!
Learn to stop worrying about the perfect plan. Try things and get immediate feedback (which you can do easily these days through social media).
My biggest mistake: Giving up too soon and letting too much time go by before trying again… or trying something new that I always wanted to do. “Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.”