Worth Repeating

Now and then I hear something that resonates with me, and I just have to share. This was from yesterday's Starting Over television show. It was spoken by Iyanla Vanzant in a group session of women from all age groups.

When a woman is in her 20's, the question is "Who am I?" Am I who my parents say I am? Am I what the world says I am? Am I who they want me to be? Who am I? And at the physical level, it's all about the clothes and the car and the body and the fun and the parties. And at the emotional level, it's about being loved and accepted. At the spiritual level, it's about freedom and no limits. 20's don't like to be limited.

The question for the 30ish year old woman is "What do I want?" It's really not so much about the physical now-the clothes, the car, but about security. What do I want and how can I move forward in a very secure place?"

The forties are the age of purpose. Now the body does start to change and we can either stay in the physicality and be hysterical about it, or be at the spiritual level where there is acceptance. The big question for the 40 year old woman is "What am I doing? And who cares anyway?"

Then there is the 50-ish year old woman- the wise one. The question for the 50 year old woman is what do I have to offer? The key for fifty, where 40 is about acceptance, fifty is about forgiveness. Because it's very easy for the things we don't forgive to turn into bitterness and there is nothing more attractive than a bitter old woman.

Do you know any bitter old women? Do you know an old wise woman? Every woman needs an old wise woman in her life. Because where men learn from institutions and organizations, women learn from each other. Today, profect yourself forward...picture yourself at 70 and write a monologue of what it is like to be seventy.