Lessons from the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

If you haven’t discovered the Amazon Prime original The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, I highly recommend it. It is quick and witty, beautifully staged and costumed. I realized as I was doing some research that there are some great lessons for women who want to reinvent themselves, or find themselves in a situation where they have to, which is where Midge finds herself in the very first episode.

• Sometimes unexpectedly doing something leads to something else that resonates. Or it may open an unexpected path. Take the step down the path and see what opportunities present themselves even if it seems ridiculous.
• Be open to imagining without limits. In other words, don’t limit yourself.
• And more importantly, don’t let others’ limiting beliefs hold you back.
• Not everyone is going to be on board from the beginning (or at all) and you may need to break social expectations along the way. That’s fine. They are social constructs that were created by, and accepted by people; they can be torn down and reconstructed in a way that better suits you.
• Don’t be surprised by those who do get on board and begin to support you. Accept it. Embrace the support. You’ll need it. Don’t be afraid to make the call to these unlikely and unexpected supporters.
• Don’t apologize to those who expected you to be, or do, something else. It’s your life to live, not theirs.
• Sometimes others will try to make you pay for their discomfort. Own your part but don’t take on theirs.
• Persist through the discomfort. Forging a new path and taking on new challenges is not always comfortable, but it will be worth it.
• Not everything will go as planned. Make the best of it and look for new opportunities to learn and grow along the way. Learning something new is always beneficial and often leads to new opportunities. If you end up at a dead end, look around for a new road or make your own.
• Surround yourself with people who believe in you and help you on your journey. You don’t need to go it alone. It’s always good to have pals along the way. Get help when you can.
• Let go of what no longer serves you.
• It’s also ok to let go of those people who refuse to see you in a new light. Hopefully they come around, but if they don’t, don’t lose hope. You will meet new people along the way who are able to see you differently. People come into our lives for different reasons and don’t always stay for the entire journey.
• Be patient. It’s not uncommon for pivots to take time. It can take one to three years. You’ve heard of overnight successes…most of the ‘overnights’ were years in the making. But don’t lose hope. If it takes time, it really gets absorbed into who you are and how you operate.
• You owe it to the world to be all that you can be. Don’t hold back. Don’t shrink. Be bold.