It's ok to be proud of yourself...

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. It provides insight for the future.

 

·      My father had a sign in his office:

o   It said: “Too soon old, too late smart. 

·      Don’t you just feel that way sometimes?

 

I got all caught up in myself and my career. Often worried if I was good enough. Sometimes that was distracting but I believed I was smart enough to figure things out. Learned along the way that people can help, as in ‘two heads are better than one”. Learned a little later that nobody’s perfect, as in ‘perfection is the enemy of progress’. Trouble is, there’s no onboarding for life – parents can help, but so much is figuring things out personally, as you go, often without a coach. It’s fun to think what you would tell you’re your younger self, but maybe it would be better to tell someone younger who might put the advice to good use. Tell them to chill out – everything is a learning opportunity and make the most of every situation. Take time to reflect – even an immediate review can teach you things. Get a coach – someone you trust to tell you what you need to discover. Learn to communicate effectively – listening and speaking. Be humble. Stay optimistic. Treat everyone the way you want to be treated. And always say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. All of that is good enough. And you can be proud of that today.

 

Viola Davis (born 1965): American actress and producer. She is one of the few performers to have been awarded an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony.