Eighteen Facts Women Under Thirty Desperately Need to Learn

S.R. Karfelt/The Glitter Globe

1. Getting older is not the worst thing that will happen to you.
2. You will probably be far more comfortable with your body at forty than at twenty-two.
3. Sex is way more fun at forty than at twenty-two. Go figure.
4. You don’t get to be in your twenties for even a nanosecond longer than any of the women older than you were. Age is fluid, so don't build your lifestyle entirely on quicksand.
5. Time isn’t your friend or enemy. Roll with it or fight it, it is yours to use or waste as you wish.
6. When you’re around Senior Citizens, and they’re watching you too intently (maybe you’re dancing, maybe you’ve just walked into the room), the great bulk of them aren’t admiring you—they’re looking into their own past and seeing what was—so keep your hair on. It’s not always about you.
7. When you get embarrassed in public—maybe your kid is acting up, or you fall off your heels—know that the bulk of those older women looking in your direction are probably shooting you looks of solidarity. We’ve all been there and we’re not too proud to admit it.
8. Life will knock the pride out of you—or make you miserable. Your call.
9. Every time you think you have everything figured out, your life will undergo major plot twists. Learn to go with the flow.
10. You are more than your looks.
11. You are more than your age.
12. Any time you spend envying another woman’s looks, life, or money is your youth wasted.
13. You don’t need the most or the best to be wildly happy.
14. Would you give credence to what someone ten or twenty years younger than you would think about your choice of clothing? Me neither.
15. If you knew how rarely other people talk about/think about you, you’d be disappointed. So don’t worry about it. Live YOUR life for YOU.
16. Desperate bids for attention—from men or the internet—might mean you’re unhappy. Neither men nor the internet can fix that. But you can.
17. Nobody judges you as harshly as you do. Stop it.
18. Be more than your looks. Be more than your age. Life is heartbreakingly fleeting. Take time to find out who you really are and BE her.

Recently a blog went around with tips on what women over thirty should or shouldn't do. It made the rounds online, causing annoyance and inspiring blogs in rebuttal. Although I thought it was silly, and obviously meant as click bait and to inflame—it did inspire me to write this one. I'm not into putting women into pigeonholes as young or old, or pitting us against each other. We're all part of the sisterhood.

The above are eighteen facts I think young women need to learn, but you don't have to believe me. You can learn them the hard way if you prefer. Your call. 

Ladies, and gentlemen, did I leave anything out?