Clutch: 10 Lessons Every Woman Should Know to Get Through Life

I couldn’t help but notice all the positive energy that’s been flowing around lately. Oprah Winfrey was on the cover of O writing a letter to her literal mini-me self, steering her along a bumpy path. The positive response of that letter led Lady O to resurrect a letter that Phylicia Rashad had written to her 21-year-old self for the April 2006 issue of O (can you believe she didn’t think she was beautiful?!) Glamour Magazine has also been on a share-the-wealth kick. In anticipation of their publication of “30 Things Every Woman Should Have” and  ”30 Things Every Woman Should Have and Should Know By the Time She’s 30,” they released a list that quickly went viral (again.)

In that spirit, I give you my top ten lessons (you can find others here) for getting thru this thing called life (like Prince.) I encourage you to help your Sisters by adding to the list in the comments section.

Read Often
My God Mother used to tell me, “a smart woman knows a little bit about a lot of things.” You never know when some obscure factoid will come in handy. I prefer to read the biographies/autobiographies of highly successful people in different industries. I’ve started to notice common themes in their stories, and take comfort that everyone cluelessly began somewhere, and getting to the top hasn’t been a smooth ride for anyone.

Know When to Be Quiet
Seemingly every Caribbean parent I know told their children some version of “You have two ears and one mouth” as a way of encouraging them to listen. It’s advice to take into adulthood. If you’re always talking, you’re always telling too much. Sit back and observe more. Let other folk yammer on. You might be startled what you discover.

Be a Do-er
Big ideas are great, but you need to be able to execute them. People respect folk who get things done, period. Doesn’t matter how big or lofty it is, it can always be broken down into baby steps. When I am overwhelmed by an assignment or new task, CBW (my significant other) has become fond of asking, “And so how do you eat an elephant? Bit by bit.” (Think about it.)

Ask for Help
You can do alone, but why should you? Some women think asking for an assist is somehow a sign of weakness. If you are one of those women, abandon that mindset now. There are no bonus points for doing it alone, only getting it done right and on schedule.  Rally the troops to tackle the big assignment at work, to assemble that confusing Ikea furniture, or to raise your kid. It takes a village to do a lot of things well.

Read more: here