ATTITUDE WINS
Why I’m Still Betting on Myself in My Sixties
It’s my best option, plain and simple
My father had two favorite sayings that he often shared with us. They set us up for a very healthy outlook.
His first was, “What goes around comes around.” Be kind to others, and we will get kindness back. Whether my dad’s words were meant as an incentive or to remind us that we could lead by example, we got the message.
His second memorable saying was, “My money’s on you.” This was nowhere near as virtuous. Quite the opposite. I imagined a casino table with bets being placed in some seedy basement dwelling.
And yet, every time I heard those words, “My money’s on you,” I felt confident and filled with a go-get-em attitude.
It was our permission to take whatever flyers we wanted, whatever whims we felt a need to live out. My dad’s message was very simple. He believed in us, and so we should, too.
This meant that when I graduated college without a job and moved to Boston without an apartment to join “Kelly Girls” (now called “Kelly Services) and work for pennies as a typist, it was fine. I would find the job that I wanted and would figure out how to support myself.
