11 Dec A LOVE LETTER TO MY DAUGHTER WITH A FEW LIFE LESSONS ADDED IN

Many years ago I was told by someone whom I admired and cared about very much told me, “Only the strongest women birth daughters”! From that moment on, I thought about the intense pressure it would be to raise a young lady. I also knew that growing up as a girl in my day wasn’t easy due to so much pressure on females to be pretty, skinny and popular in order to achieve success and be liked. Combine those two items and the birth of my daughter, and WHAMO! I was thrust into a lot of thought as to what lessons I wanted to teach my daughter so she would grow up feeling self-confident, strong, and loved and ready to tackle the world!

Here are my 10 BIGGEST LESSONS –

1. Stick to your convictions – they are your foundation.
2. The image in the mirror doesn’t define you, and limit your time looking into one.
3. Always be polite.
4. Be patient. All good things really do come to those who wait.
5. Don’t let a man, boyfriend, girlfriend, partner deter you from accomplishing your goals.
6. Pick your battles wisely. Some battles really aren’t worth the fuss.
7. When you finally do chose a life partner, make sure that you have: mutual respect, always be kind to each other and never forget why you fell in love. LIFE WILL TEST THAT UNION!
8. Pursue your dreams, no matter how big or small.
9. Life is short: don’t hold grudges, say “I love you” whenever you can and enjoy each day you have on earth.
10. LOVE THYSELF…once you love yourself, everyone else will too.

And one final one which I believe we should all live by, “Do Unto Others as You Wish Done Unto you”.

This really did start out as lessons I wanted my daughter to learn, but they apply to my son as well. The reason it really was designed for my daughter is because as much as I believe we have forged ahead and there is some gender equality, we have A LOT of room for improvement. I truly believe however that we continue to be harder on our girls about body image, success, careers, love and family. We, as women, are tasked with the role of being all things to all people and forgetting what’s truly important.

My wish for my daughter and really all our young women is that they recognize their self-worth from within and don’t need any outside people, social media or bosses to validate this!

My final words to my sweet baby girl – at only 4 years-old you already prove that you are tenacious, fun, strong and smart. My ultimate wish for you is you find a passion and follow that path to wherever it will lead you. Don’t let anyone stand in your way and remember that you have the chutzpah and love of your family to be whatever you want. Carpe Diem! You get one kick at the can, make the most of it!