The second post is by Elizabeth C., who lives in Idaho. There she runs a small business, called Lizbeth's Garden, that sells handmade beaded tassels, both locally and on Etsy. She loves to read and she loves gardening! She also shares the flowers from her garden in her Etsy shop. Her links will be down below after her post so don't forget to go support her in her Etsy shop!
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How to Be in the World
- People listen to what you say. You never know when someone will take your words to heart. I never want to hurt someone with my words.
- Live in the present. The past is past, dwelling on it won't change it.
- "Be the change you want to see in the world.” -Ghandi ; the world won't get better if you don't make an effort.
In the Work World (or, Being Professional)
- Always think before you speak.
- Always be polite.
- Don't tell your boss (or other superior) that he/she is wrong. If there is a problem, ask questions about how you could have done (or should do) something differently.
- Never hesitate to apologize if you've made a mistake. Be clear that it was your fault and that it won't happen again.
- Don't gossip.
- If you are upset about something about work, don't talk to anyone at work about it until you are over the initial anger and have calmed down a little.
- Under-promise, over-deliver. For example, if certain work needs a deadline, add a day (or more) to your timeline for completion. Then get it done before you said you would.
Raising Children
- Always make sure your walking path is clear when carrying a baby. It is so easy to trip and fall and drop the baby!
- If it won't make a difference in the long-term, don't fight what the child wants to do. Pale pink shirts and bright orange skirts don't go together, but if she picks it out herself, that's the important thing, not the clashing colors.
- Never promise anything (good or bad) if you can't or won't follow through.
- Take care of yourself, too. If you would take your kid to the doctor if he/she felt this way, take yourself.
Gardening
- You won't save money starting seeds yourself, but it is so rewarding to see those tiny green shoots poking through the soil.
- When pruning apple trees, make sure you leave lots of the short, stubby branches. Those are the only ones that make apples. You don't want to prune away all your apples.
- You can plant a lot closer than the planting instructions say. You get fewer weeds, but smaller plants.
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I think Elizabeth's life lessons were very practical. I like practical pieces of advice because I feel these speak from specific life experiences. At this point in my life, I am at a stage where I would not have to think about the "work world" or on "raising children" but I feel these are still good advice to follow up on.
Reading Elizabeth's post makes me think about the typical stages I guess we all must go through in our lives: finish your education, get a job, marry and have children. But should they all be in this order?
One of the advice my mum always give to me is that as young women, we must always establish ourselves first before we get married or have children. What does she mean by "establishing ourselves"? She doesn't elaborate much on this but from my point of view, I think she means to be grounded in knowing who you are and what you want and being financially secure so that you can support yourself.
This is coming from a wise woman, if I do say so myself, who was a zoologist; who married when she was around 30 years old and had children; who then moved to England with her husband and children to have a better quality of life. She has always told me and my sister to value the freedom that we have. In most traditional asian cultures, maybe not so much these days now but from my parents' generation and older, it is very typical for the man to be the 'worker' of the family and the women to stay at home and look after the house and the children.
I could never imagine living my life that way...yet. But I'm pretty sure when I do decide to marry and have children that I would want to stay independent with my own job. And I am pretty sure this is where the "freedom" part comes from- to have the option to do what you want, when you want and where you want before other responsibilities kick in. When you start having children, you make sure of course have to put their priorities first.
Also, gender-wise, we have to realise that times are changing. Women are more powerful and have gained a greater amount of respect from society than many years ago. We are not expected to be stay-at-home mums anymore. We don't have to be stay-at-home mums. Instead we are now able to have the option to set good examples of being able to have children, raise them incredibly well and pursue your passions at the same time. I'm sure we are all strong enough to do so.
So my advice to young women is to follow my mama's advice! Make sure you have pursued your passions and your dreams and have accomplished what you have always wanted to accomplish before you decide to marry and have children. Make sure you live up to your own potential first because then, you're going to have all those experiences and skills that you're going to be able to pass on to your children. Of course, when we are young we dream about the husband we would be married to and the (oh!) children we would like to have and how you are all going to pursue a life together! This kind of thought has probably passed your brain at least once. If you are an older reader, it probably did. It's romantic. But concentrate all that energy first into loving yourself, treating yourself right and making sure you reach up to your best potential. That way, you will know what kind of man is right for you and who is not. That way, when the time comes when you are ready for marriage and children, you can follow all of Elizabeth's advice and then even add a little of your own!
You can reach Elizabeth from the following:
Blog:
Etsy Shop:
Twitter:
Thank you very much Elizabeth.
Hope you all enjoyed Elizabeth's life lessons and my personal views.
Leave a comment below and share with us your own life lessons!
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