There are many things I have learned from spending time with my grandmother and her friends. They are amazing women. Women who are timeless. They were some of the pioneers of their generation, leaving religion behind because it began to not seem so accepting, avoiding the strict marriage → kids → stay-at-home mother pipeline. They are inspirations to younger generations, women and men alike.
These women are still working and are in leadership positions. My own grandmother is 73 years-old, owns her own business, and still works Tuesday-Saturday usually 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
I learned too many lessons from spending a lifetime with them and more particularly the first three weeks in December, but I have narrowed them down to the top eight, for now.
1. You might not use your college degree for your job/career, and that’s OK
Many of these women and I would even go as far as to say MOST of them, did not use their degree, or their intended degree, especially undergraduate. You might not use your degree for your first, second, or third job, but experience is everything and the experience you gained while you were in college means a lot too.fa
2. You will miss feeling scared and nervous about your future
When you don't feel this way anymore, you will wish you had that feeling and those moments back. When you are older and comfortable, you will miss the times when you weren't sure what you were going to do with your life or when your next paycheck would be.3. There really is "the one"
There can also by many people in your life who are "the one," just realize that you will know when there is "the one." If this means you find one, two, or three of "the one," you will know; wait for that feeling.4. Men will never think like women, and vice versa
Technically two of them said, on separate occasions, not even when they were together, proclaimed the exact same thing: "Men are stupid." I did not want to say it particularly this harshly, but I will state the obvious here that not ALL men.
When pressed into further detail, they described particularly what I stated above, that men do not think like women and that is hard to understand how they make their decision, but this can also go both ways.
5. “Things” are just “things”
From major red wine spills to accidentally using too much bleach and ruining your favorite (and maybe most expensive) set of sheets, things are simply just things. Don’t fret over them unless they are entirely irreplaceable, but again, regardless they are just things. They are inanimate objects and can (and most likely will) be replaced. It is a waste of time to worry about them.
6. Try to stay debt free
No credit score at all is better than a bad credit score. Try to pay for everything in cash so you don’t accumulate debt. And if you are in debt, pay it as soon as possible so that you don't end up paying a bunch extra (even up to double the amount in some cases).
My grandmother also suggests looking into Financial Peace University with Dave Ramsey, she says she learned so many important financial lessons from him and you could too.
7. Don’t remain unhappy, in any aspect of your life
From relationships to jobs, if you are not happy then leave. Don’t second guess it, don’t think of everything you could be losing, just leave. You will figure it out somewhere else or with someone else or with a new job so just leave. You will (probably) look back and laugh at the matter and be so glad you made that decision because of where you end up.
8. You will probably change your path more than once
Whether it is deciding you want a major career change, relocation, new partner, etc. you will most likely not end up where you thought you would be at twenty-four. You might, but probably not. So anticipate that change will occur and that you are not predestined for anything. You might just change your mind about a lover, career, and/or place to live in a heartbeat and this is OK, and even fun and a good idea.
So all in all, there are too many golden pieces of advice I have acquired from some of these role models of mine. Take the time to listen to your own grandparent's advice and life experience, it is usually so important and is only acquired from people who have been around a lot longer than you.
