Making terrible errors in judgment is an essential part of growing up. Unfortunately, we can't go back in time and correct them. There aren't really any real do-overs in life, but luckily, we can learn from our mistakes. Still, it's hard not to imagine that things would've been easier if we'd had certain gems of knowledge when we were younger. Of course, that kind of wisdom simply comes with age. Or maybe it comes from Twitter, because one recent thread where women have been sharing wisdom they wish they knew when they were younger is chock-full of solid gold knowledge.
A woman named Amy Nelson, the founder and CEO of The Riveter Co, is responsible for starting the thread. She asked her followers an important question from her account @amy_riveter: "To my working women friends: If you could give your younger working self any advice, what would you say?" Quickly, knowledgeable women flocked to her feed, sharing so much valuable information and far-reaching advice that they wish they had known. Women addressed issues having to do with work, marriage, and more. There are hundreds of incredibly thoughtful answers on the thread, and the question has been like over 7,000 times.
Amy, a writer for Inc., wrote about the interactions with her followers: "Working women have so many of the same questions and fears and hopes — no matter how young or old, where we are in our career or around the country, or the number of babies we've had or hope to have. The simple truth is that over the course of our lifetimes, we live many shared experiences at work. And we walk away with many of the same lessons."
There were definitely so many incredible responses, many having to do with women knowing their worth at work. One comment reads, "Negotiate every offer. Get everything in writing. Look out for spies. Write shorter emails. Recognize the difference between your manager being IN a decision-making process and your manager already having MADE the decision."
Another comment was about women knowing their world at home, which is equally, if not more important than at work. "Make your invisible work visible," it reads. "If you don’t communicate your value, no one else is going to do it for you."
Another comment touched on family relationships and how important it is to listen to yourself, rather than always hearing your parents' voices in your head. "You know better than your parents what career path is best for you," it reads. For anyone who has ever struggled over trying to follow the path their family hoped for, versus their own ambitions, that one really hits.
Throughout the hundreds of comments, most of them were centered around women really finding and embracing their power. For young women just making their way in the world, that can take a lot of time. That's why these messages are so powerful to hear from women who've been working, at home or outside of the home, for some time. Some comments were clear-cut: "Girl, have your babies." While that might seem like a simple message, women go back and forth about when is the perfect time to have a baby, and it can bring about a ton of confusion.
The message of women digging deep and finding confidence in themselves was apparent. One comment shared a sentiment that encouraged women who may look around the room and assume others, especially men in high-powered positions, know more than they do. "They aren’t smarter than you," it says. "And speak up LOUDER."
It's so simple yet so poignant. How many women have felt intimated at work, so much that they quieted down? Sometimes, we need that encouragement to know that our ideas are every bit as valuable as others, and we need practice taking the microphone.
Some comments addressed several important considerations. Like this one that reads, "Prioritize therapy earlier, invest in great childcare (that’s great mom care too), order groceries online, be unapologetic about what you want, (keep) being nice (you don’t need to be a mean girl to win), find allies at work and in community, max out your 401k, don't eat at desk."
I mean, there are simply so many great gems in there. It's hard not to find something that resonates.
What's really clear when looking at this Twitter thread is that it's a must-read for young women. Actually, it's a must-read for all women. The fact of the matter is, we have more stacked against us than men. When it comes to knowing our worth, we can always use more encouragement.
Even though women work outside of the home more than they used to, and earn more money, they still do the majority of the child care. And we still don't have adequate maternity leave in the US. Women have to make tough decisions, and sometimes we simply don't know where to turn.
Lifting one another up is just so essential in a modern world that's full of hard choices and pressures. Women have to be their own best advocates. But the best we can do is to keep sharing knowledge like this and empower one another. Check out the entire thread on Twitter.
