The Big ‘O’ – Hang on in there

For those of you who are wondering why I've started doing the 'blog' thing, I turned 40 last year. This is what turning 40 has taught me…
1) it's definitely the age where I care less about what people think about me (I still care, just a little less)
2) you can choose to speak your mind and;
3) be confident that if what I say upsets someone, this was not my intention so I can give myself a break and remember I'm still a nice person.
4) Finally, I am allowed an opinion and it's allowed to be different to that of someone else.

Somewhere inside me I feel I have some interesting things to say, and today is the day for me to talk about the 'O' word, 'Opinion'.

I see memes on facebook all the time, little clever pictures and phrases pondering the idea of 'What would you say to your younger self'. Well, if I could go back to the time when I nearly gave up my business, just before hitting the two year mark, I would say "You're allowed your own opinion, you just have to own it."

I can remember people telling me how I should do things differently, change my business structure, charge more or even just get a proper job. Sometimes I would be my stubborn 30 year old self and pretend I know what was best, sometimes I felt like my 20 year old self, barely out of teenage years and just wanting to cry and get a cuddle from mum.

Here's the interesting thing though, I would also tell myself "Other people are allowed their own opinion too, but remember that they own it not you. Listen and learn as much as you can, but free yourself from other people's opinions, they are not wrong they are just not yours."

As for the picture, this is to remind me to hang on in there and appreciate the view from wherever I am right now.

Alison x