The Original Interview

What would you tell your younger self about…

1. Confidence? When your young your thoughts of self, family, and friends are changing from one year to the next. It's challenging to feel confident about who you are, how long you'll be who you are, and what you're becoming. The great thing about confidence is you get to shape what it looks like. Trust, first begins with you. Trust yourself to make positive choices and love who you are and what you're on your way to becoming. Believe that anything you set your sights on accomplishing is possible inspight of the various faces of adversity your challenged with.

2. Self-Respect? Respect can sometimes be a vague concept to grasp. Self-Respect is an instant confidence booster. Realize first that you are special; you were fashioned and formed from scratch. Treat yourself with kindness, and love. Develop a personal friendship with you. Making choices of the highest integrity is how we begin to develop this trait. Do the right thing, even if nobody is looking.
3. Faith? Women are as diverse in our personal beliefs as we are in appearance. Whatever or whomever you rely on as a higher power for spiritual peace, maintain a constant connection with that/them. Sometimes we're faced with tragedy and we're unclear about the circumstances for why, continue to seek strength from that which is greater than you.
4. Health? The older you get the harder this is to maintain successfully. A healthy lifestyle requires DISCIPLINE! What you put in is what you get out. A healthy mind, body, and spirit makes it easier to like, love, and cherish who we see when we look in the mirror. Be gentle to yourself. Eat your fruits and vegetables, even when you get to an age where your parents/guardians can no longer force you. Have breakfast, it's the easiest way to maintain a healthy weight, and find a form of exercise you enjoy and engage in it weekly. Walking is a great way to build that personal relationship with yourself.
5. Wealth? Media has created an illusion that has us all striving for a lifestyle that's beyond our means and usually almost impossible to attain and/or maintain. If I could talk to myself 10 years ago, I would tell myself to live with my Mommy until I've saved a significant deposit for the down payment of a home. Renting is a glamourous illusion of stability. Strive for life of consistency -you accomplish this by SAVING! Respect your money the way you respect yourself. It's of value, and can often times go a lot further than you think. Consult with someone about "wealth management" early, don't be short sighted about your earnings. Life can always get "cloudy with a chance of rain"!
6. Relationships with other women and/or with men? Women: Be good to your girlfriends. This is the time of in your life where you're creating a support system that will sustain you for hopefully a lifetime. Don't be competitive with your girls. They're experiencing the same struggles as you with self-respect, confidence, and relationship building. Be supportive about their goals and ambitions, non-confrontational about conflict and hug often. Remember when you point the finger there really are three fingers and sometimes a thumb that point in your direction so leave judgements to the justice system and court proceedings. Men: Understanding these types of humans in an intimate connection is an ongoing process so take your time getting to know them, especially physically. When you're confident, and respect yourself you should be selective about who you interact with. The wrong guy has the capabilities to destroy the confidence and self-respect you worked hard to build.
Did I miss something? I would say I missed a whole lot, but there's only so much I can share online so I'll leave you with a few quotes that I've picked up from family and friends:
- "If young maidens knew, what old wives know, they would be in no haste to wed"... this simply means that there's more to marriage than the wedding day. It's a marathon, and not a a burst sprint. Take your time getting to that place with the RIGHT guy.
- "People will only treat you the way you let them." Self-Respect calls for boundaries and standards. Set them and don't allow others to walk over your values.
-"Be Fabulous, Be Beautiful, Be YOU"... this one is my favorite. Sometimes I repeat it over and over to myself like a mantra. It means BE YOURSELF! You never have to be someone you're not because you are faboulous, you are beautiful!

Ms. Clarke, your completion of the original interview is an amazing contribution to the site and provides useful nuggets of wisdom to our readers. Thank You!

How amazing!!! Congratulations to you for creating such a beautiful site and with such great intent and integrity. I am so very proud of you. You shine so brightly, so many women are going to benefit from your work. Awesome!

Thank You Sarah! Your kind words mean so very much!

Very well done — the young women of this world have waited long enough for resources to avoid learning life's lessons “the hard way.”

Kudos!

Thank You Hal! Your words & your support for SSK are so great!