I was recently asked the question- what advice I would give to my 16 year old self? I loved this question.
I have thought about this question quite a bit and decided to share my answer, in a blog post.
Dear me-1995,
I am writing to you from the year 2018, five months before (y)our 40th birthday. The reason for me writing is to give you some advice that I think will help you on the journey you have started to take:
Follow your heart and always give 100%. Don’t be afraid of not having a path mapped out for you, or not knowing where you want to end up in a career. You will travel to Austin, Texas in 2016 where you will hear a speech from Casey Neistat at SXSW about the ‘Tarzan model’. He will say “It’s about this idea of grabbing on to whatever’s in front of you and running with it, without having much understanding of where it’s going to lead you.” Follow this philosophy through your life and you will be ok, always believe in you!
“If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, but make allowance for their doubting too; if you can wait and not be tired by waiting, or being lied about, don’t deal in lies, or being hated, don’t give way to hating, and yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise” 1/4
Never stop listening! Always try and surround yourself with the right people. They will be fearless and critical in how they think — both very important behaviours that will help you grow. In 2008 you will join Burberry, this will be a key part of your development. You will start to nurture your emotional intelligence, gain access to some very inspirational people and create something amazing. However, in 2012 you will encounter some rough terrain and at times light will turn to darkness. I wish I could give you guidance on how to avoid this, but I can’t. All I can say is that you will somehow find the courage to talk and ask for help. You emerge from this period even stronger than before.
“If you can dream — and not make dreams your master; if you can think — and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two impostors just the same;If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, and stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools.” 2/4
It is ok to fall. There is going to be situations where you will find yourself on the floor, remember that this is ok! What is not ok is staying there — you must always get back up, no matter what. Vulnerability and resilience are two characters that will look after you as you progress through life, nothing can stop you from being who you’re going to be.
“If you can make one heap of all your winnings and risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, and lose, and start again at your beginnings and never breathe a word about your loss; if you can force your heart and nerve and sinew to serve your turn long after they are gone, and so hold on when there is nothing in you except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’” 3/4
Make sure you do enjoy yourself and keep your eyes wide open. You will get the privilege to travel to many beautiful places and meet many beautiful people both for work and for pleasure, take it all in!
Most important of all, always measure your success, in life, through the impact you have on people and the difference you can make in this world. You must be relentless in making this your beginning, middle and end of everything you do.
“If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with kings — nor lose the common touch; If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you; If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds’ worth of distance run-Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, And — which is more — you’ll be a Man, my son!” 4/4 — Rudyard Kipling
I hope you find this advice helpful and you get to make the same mistakes that I made, and you don’t stand still for too long. You’re in for one hell of a ride!
Love from,
Me
