6 Wise Thoughts For My College-Entering Daughter

As her daughter goes to college, this mother has some truly empowering advice to share. What would be yours?

Dear Daughter,

As you enter into a whole new world of opportunities and challenges, here are a few things I would like you to bear in mind.

• Do not be ashamed of your physical appearance. Do not feel guilty about your height or weight. All women have breasts and hips. There is no need to use a piece of clothing to cover yourself from head to toe. Dress with confidence to make yourself comfortable and to look smart. Do not bother about what others might think of your clothes and your appearance. The ‘others’ will have no role to play in your life.
• Do not let menstrual taboos put you down. Again, all women menstruate. It is a normal biological process. Having your period is not a sin and there is nothing impure about it. I have myself touched the pickle jar and visited temples during my periods…and nothing actually went wrong!

Stay healthy

Try to be physically active as long as you can. We do not know what the future has in store for us. We may become physically disabled or diseased at any age. Run around, jump around as much as you can! Have a set of workout companions, which will make exercising fun. Sweat for at least half an hour every day. Eat right. Yoga and meditation are even better!

Network, network and network

Networking is very important for one’s personal and professional life. As you step into college, you will have a lot of friends and networking may not seem difficult. But as the years go by, particularly for women, the number of friends and professional contacts just dwindles with age. Do not let that happen. At every stage of your life, no matter what, whether you are married or having kids or retiring as a grandparent, always maintain your network of friends and acquaintances. You never know who would come to your rescue during a difficult period of your life! Plus, having a set of best friends with whom you can confide in, relieves a lot of your mental stress and keeps loneliness at bay. Though parents, spouse, siblings and our own children will be our immediate support system, friends provide the rejuvenation and refreshment to our monotonous life.

Work hard

Let your thirst for knowledge and information never die down. After your college phase, work life might offer the challenge to keep learning something new. Even otherwise, read books. There are innumerable online resources these days, so learning something new on your own will be quite easy. Never stop learning or reading!

Become an empowered woman

According to me, being empowered means you have to be financially and emotionally independent. It does not mean that you need to be rich, highly educated or have a successful career. I know of many women who earn their income, but have to get their husband’s permission to spend the same! You got to have the freedom to do what you want and the right mind set to use the freedom correctly. Choose a life partner who will support and empower you and not control you. Life will have its ups and downs. When all goes well, there will be nothing to worry. But when something goes seriously wrong, only if you are empowered and independent, will you be able to handle the situation successfully.

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Stop sacrificing

Our society normally trains women to become an epitome of sacrifice. At different stages of your life, you might have to take care of others first, rather than yourself. The others could be your parents, children, spouse or friends. But don’t make that a habit, as it will lead to stress and depression. Take care of yourself first. You need to have at least an hour of ‘me’ time everyday. Spend this time exclusively for yourself. The well-being of others in the family will be automatically taken care of.

Top image via GraphicStock

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