This picture was taken from a work event with the NY Health and Racket Club on their boat. A friend/colleague and I were at our first work event together representing a company that we both love. We quickly realized that we were the youngest people attending and things shifted a bit. At first when you are the youngest person or people at a event it is a bit intimidating, but once you realize you truly belong there a confidence washes over you.
I don't think I have shook that confidence since.
In that moment it was apparent that we deserved to be among the people we were with no matter our age. We worked hard to get there just like they did. In this society it is easy to get discourage due age (whether young or old), because we are weirdly programmed that we don't deserve what we worked for at whatever age we get it (example - imposter syndrome). People will say your too young to be in the position you are in or too old to live a certain lifestyle, and either of those statements are true. Especially for the people that working hard on their dreams, bold enough to live the life they aspire, and the ones who are just simply doing what they love. There is no age limit on those things.
One should never limit their lifestyle to fit those around them. You're dreams are yours and they are yours for a reason. These are lessons that I have learned while working at FORD. FORD has taught me things personally and professionally. There are four lessons below that I use in my daily live no matter what I am doing.
1. Speak up.
You can have a great idea or suggestion, but no one will ever know if you are too scared to say it out loud. You don't get anything by being a fly on the wall - you get what you ask and work for. What do you have to lose by speaking up? Yes, it may be hard the first couple of times you speak up if its out of the ordinary for you, but I promise with time you get comfortable and it becomes natural. Your voice needs to be heard.
Whether you work for yourself or a company, closed mouths don't get fed. Speak up!
2. Everything is figureoutable.
A lesson my boss instilled in me from the very beginning. She always gets an answer or she creates one. You may have to look outside the box or around it, but you will figure something out. I am always putting myself in someone else's shoes, working backwards, or trying far fetched things to get the job done. I don't settle much for the answers "I don't know "or "I can't do it". My boss won't let me, so naturally I won't let myself.
My boss once said "is it impossible or is just hard?" Remember that whenever you are stuck on something - it is not impossible, it may be hard, but you can figure out an approach to solve it.
3. Believe in yourself, power, and work ethic.
You have to live and breathe confidence (even if you have to fake it a little at times). If you don't believe in your work or your voice how do you expect others to believe in your vision? You worked hard to get to this point so don't stop working now. Never get complacent. Keep working and thriving in all aspects of your life.
4. Own it.
Be proud of yourself. Be proud of yourself every step of the way no matter if you take a couple steps back, trip, or skips some steps - just be proud because you are making movement. It is easy to get bogged down by to-do lists and just the everyday things of living, but never forget how far you've come.