Q & A from 2 QUESTIONS EVERY GIRL IS ASKING HERSELF

Advice to My 18-Year-Old Self

 A couple of days ago, a friend of this page wrote me a wonderful message after reading 2 QUESTIONS EVERY GIRL IS ASKING HERSELF. (ps. I love letters from u guys!) In it, she asked some really great questions. I thought they were so good, I wanted to share our little Q & A with all of you.

If you don't mind sharing Michelle, how much of it is real? Did you really take the leap of faith and embark on that journey?

It's all real. I didn't make anything up. Yes I did take that leap of faith. Though at the time, I phrased it as a "Dream Experiment" to myself. Leap of faith was too scary to me. Experiment sounded more manageable. And less scary if I fail.

What's the number one thing you took away from the whole experience? 

I think the most important thing is if you want to do something, you really have to get out there and experience it with the entirety of your being. Don't just think about it in your head, logic is only half your brain.

How did you support yourself financially for 3 months?

For those 3 months of travel, financially I had savings from my consulting job.

And what advice would you give to your 18 year old self ? (I'm 18..so kinda curious)?

It's funny you asked, because I was just thinking about this today. I did a talk at a university in Beijing in May, and I wished I'd said this to the students in attendance.

I think the most important thing is give yourself "a gift of time" of maybe a month, or two, or a whole summer, and experiment with your dream.

First, try to remove all constraints from your mind, and ask yourself, if I didn't have to worry about money, or status, or what all my friends are doing, how would I like to spend my time?

You might have a number of dreams/things you'd like to do, eg. be an actor, write a book, open your own coffee shop, etc.., and don't know in what order you should experiment with them.

Start with the one you want to do the most. Not the most practical one, but the one YOU want to do the most.

Say it is to be an actor, then go to a short-term acting school, make actor friends, try out for some parts. Give yourself a time limit of say a month, and see if you truly enjoyed the experience.

After that, you will know in your heart, if this is what you want to do. If not, then try the next thing on the list. When you know in your heart, with the entirety of your being that you want to do something, you'll work your life around it to make it work.

Best of luck my dear. 

xoxo, 

Michelle