The advice I got from my grandma

BY: COLLEEN LINDBERG 

I have been blessed with some great influences in my life. From bosses to teachers, I have been able to have great minds consistently bless my life. However, there is some advice that still holds true in my mind as some great advice I got a few years ago from my Grandma.

We were out for lunch for one day when she said to me “Colleen, every person should live an independent life and then come together with that independence. Don’t ever lose who you are for another person.” My grandparents were married a long time, my grandpa passed away in 1991 and my grandma has been on her own since. She is a feisty, independent woman. She travels, she has friends, she sings in the church choir and does a ton of community work. She always was like this though even when she was with my grandpa. She always mirrored an independent life even while being in a relationship. I feel that sometimes in my journey, I lost this sense of myself, who I was, as I was trying to be something for someone else. Ever felt this way?

During that same lunch, we got to talking about materialistic things like; shoes, purses, and clothing.  When my parents moved my grandma into the home she is in now, they found closets filled with all of the above. My grandma had matching purses for everything. Although she gave up high heels a long time ago, she had an array of flat shoes that you could match up with any outfit. In this discussion, we were having she said, “Colleen, wear what you want. Buy the things that light your soul up. Add colour into your life and always, always make sure that you have a purse for every occasion” I laugh just remembering this. I am definitely a person that loves shoes, but from that day I knew my grandma and I would always have a different connection over self-expression. Wearing bright colours lifts the spirit, wearing things that help you express who you are will build confidence, owning your space will radiate your talent into the world. Sometimes (I can attest to this) we have been told that we “should” be something that we are not. We should cover up our flare or dim our light. Here’s what I say to that… not any more. Be you, wear the shoes and most of all… buy that purse.

So, as we wrapped up this lunch my grandma gave me these parting words “Colleen, travel the world. Explore life and make sure to get into adventures. Step into the world and explore” Sometimes I find I get so caught up in the day to day that I miss the adventure happening right in front of my eyes. I feel that sometimes as a society we are so quick to say no instead of exploring the balance of new things with the common. Adventures can be found in every moment of life, but there are also some big adventures waiting for you to step into once you can let go of your fear. There is such a big world out there to explore, why not step in and see where it takes you?

So, I ask you today are you still honouring your independence?  Are you owning your space and being the awesome you that you are?  When was the last time you took an adventure and conquered that fear? I think it’s time to get started.