Advice for Young Women- Ladies of Hive Contest #171

I am a woman in my early 30s, and sometimes I feel like traveling back to my 20s to make changes; unfortunately, it's not possible, so I get to face reality and keep moving forward and striving to succeed in life regardless of what I didn't know and didn't do back then.

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I wouldn't say that I know it all now, but it gets better with life experiences so far, and this leads me to answer one of the ladies of hive question of the week, which says:

2️⃣ What would you like to say to young women today? What advice would you give them?

In a world where we face lots of pressures, in a world where there are unhealthy competitions amongst peers, and in a society where you want to stand out and be valuable, here are a few pieces of advice I would love to give our young women, and I hope that anyone who comes across this will get value👌 My personal advice to our young women will be:

Surround yourself with a network of trusted female friends: It's important to be deliberate with the kind of people you surround yourself with. Making friends seems inevitable for us as humans; however, there are people who are success-oriented, people who can encourage you to achieve your goals. People who have focus in life; determined to achieve their goals and are not distracted by the pressures of life. They are full of positive energies and, as such, will be a great positive influence on your life. Imagine finding yourself in the midst of these kinds of people; they will surely push you to grow for good.

In the past, I have seen youngsters led astray by their friends; some even dropped out of school and chose another path of negative life; some got unwanted pregnancies; and all these could be great drawbacks. This is why being intentional with the people you surround yourself with is vital.

Secondly, be yourself; do not do anything you would regret. You don't have to choose a lifestyle to please others or compromise your standards to fit in with what society expects of you. Just discover yourself and be you.

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Your worth has nothing to do with your looks. Do not allow anyone to look down on you because of your appearance. Accept yourself with love and place a high level of respect on yourself; no one should say otherwise, and you accept it. You are wonderfully and beautifully created.

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You can do anything you set your mind to, even things that are supposedly only male-dominated. There is no course of study created for men alone. Know what you want, and go for it.

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Do not compare yourself to others; for instance, on social media today, people only display the positive side of life and hide the ugly side. You have no idea if the person you are comparing with is happy on the inside; just be yourself.

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Do not settle or stay with anyone who hits you; know your own worth and act responsibly in a relationship.

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Be honest and true to yourself; listen and follow your gut instincts always.
Do not follow the crowd; follow your heart.

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If possible, try to be financially independent as much as possible. Be a woman with your own money.

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Do not depend on a future husband or fiancee for your financial needs. Do that investment, grow that business, even after graduation from the university, and if your dream job hasn't arrived, do not fold your hands; go into a business or whatever else legally to start earning. Admire a nice future for yourself and follow your dreams. If possible, also be financially okay before jumping into marriage.

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I wish to end here; however, feel free to add more in the comment section so we can learn together.

This is my entry to Ladies of Hive Community Contest #171. Feel free to participate!