A friend sent me the following e-card this morning and it got my mind going.

As an almost middle aged woman, brought up with old school values, I have had to stand up and take notice of younger woman who have taken life by the balls and run with it.  For instance – the reason I started my blog is because I attended a social networking workshop and felt rather threatened that all the younger women sitting next to me all had their own blogs – I didn’t even know what a blog was until that day.  I walked out that evening knowing that I had to change my way of thinking.  If I was to survive in a modern world, I needed to start doing things for myself.

Now let’s not get confused by what I am talking about.  I have always done things myself and I have become a jack of all trades in being able to do things.   I am a hero in being able to do things myself and my life motto is  “If you want something done right, do it yourself.”

But this is not what I’m talking about.  What I am talking about is doing things FOR yourself.  Forgetting what hubby thinks or you boss thinks or what you kids or friends think.  You need to look after yourself first, do the things you want to do and then look after everyone else.  I have come the learn that if you are happy, everyone around you is happy.

If there was ever a time for a woman to make a difference in the world, that time is now.

I thought I would come up with a list of things to encourage women to start doing things for themselves.

What rule book?

Throw out the rule book.  Make your own set of rules.  Rules were made to be broken anyway. Don’t listen to how others say thing should be done.  Figure it out for yourself.  Yes, get advise along the way but in the end do things your way.  And trust your gut!

Do things that make you happy

Ask yourself what things count in your life or make a difference to your life.  Ask yourself who you are doing things for.  Make sure you do things that make you happy.

Surround yourself with positive people

You know that friend who is always moaning about her husband an her kids and how stressed she is at work – yeah HER.  Unfriend her.  You do not need to surround yourself by negativity.  Create a supportive environment.  As much as us ladies think we can do things alone, we cannot.  We need a support structure and make sure that structure is one filled with positivity and encourages you to be you and a happy you. A good gut check is: “Do I feel more happier and more energized or less after being with my friends?”

Have a goal

Think about what you want out of life and go for it.  It is difficult striving for something if you don’t know what that is.  It doesn’t mean you have to decide now the exact path or what the end game should be.  But acknowledge that you need to have some direction.  And if that direction is not working for you – change it.  Nothing in life is cast in stone.

Don’t forget to smell the roses

Yes it is good to go after that goal.  Start your own business.  Make money.  But don’t forget that you need to enjoy life along the way.  It is pointless doing it all and having it all if you have forgotten to smell the roses along the way.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AA1S0tcJrms]