It’s tempting to imagine what we might have done differently. But, as Diana Nyad says: ‘We earn our wisdom’
If you could go back in time and give your younger self some advice, what would it be? (Mine: always hire a professional to do your taxes and just accept you look best with a side part.)
It’s tempting to imagine what we might have done differently. Unfortunately, wisdom tends to be hard-earned, and often only arises after a series of mistakes – like parting your hair in the middle for five years even though it makes you look like a potato.
While personal wisdom takes time and patience to cultivate, we can always listen to what other astute people have learned over the years. For the final installment in our series The joys of ageing, we asked seven influential women what advice they would give their 30-year-old selves if they could go back in time.
I’d tell my 30-year-old self to write morning pages: three pages of longhand, morning writing, done daily. The pages provoke, clarify, comfort, cajole, prioritize and synchronize the day at hand. They guard – and guide – the writer.
