On a recent Reddit thread, older women were asked what advice they would give to their younger counterparts. Here’s the 8 pearls of wisdom they offered.
**#1. You’ll learn when something isn’t worth your energy.** “It’s amazing how many things fix themselves. It’s even more amazing simply acknowledging that maybe it simply isn’t any of my business.” **#2. In your 20s, you’re still maturing and changing as a person.** “There is a huge amount of personal growth throughout your 20s. Someday you’ll look back on your 20s and be like ‘OH HELLLL NO’” **#3. Don’t worry about aging.** “Life is a process, and youth isn’t the be-all and end-all of a woman’s existence.” **#4. Things probably won’t go the way you expected them to.** “We all have a great plan, then stuff happens.” **#5. Don’t give yourself a deadline for major milestones.** “I used to think that if I did not have kids or find ‘the one’ it would mean that I failed. But that is not the case. It is perfectly fine to be single at 30, and still figuring things out. Being single does not mean that I am not worth it.” **#6. Relationships don’t stay the same for very long.** “Relationships never ever stop changing, nor do people.” **#7. You might start caring less about certain things as you get older — and that’s okay.** “Many women in their 30s, myself included, start to feel more confident and happy with life. And a lot develop a ‘!#&@ it, I don’t care’ attitude toward others’ opinions, or a ‘f!#&@ it, I can handle this’ attitude toward problems.” **#8. Never become completely dependent on one person for your financial wellbeing.** Men come and go. Do not put your life in their hands financially long-term, get a job and make sure that at any given moment you can provide for yourself and possibly for a child. Because anything can happen. Divorce, stroke, car crash, cheating — anything.