In The Pursuit of Happiness: Charlize Theron’s advice to women

I first fell in love with Charlize Theron when she starred opposite Keanu Reeves in the thriller Devil’s Advocate. That was wayyyy back in 1997, and since then, she’s always had a special place in my heart. I’ve admired her authenticity, her strength, her sense of self. The actress graces the May cover of W magazine, and in true Theron form, she dispenses the kind of advice that makes me want to sit up straight and take meticulous notes…

“That’s my encouragement to 20-year-olds who are terrified of getting older: Don’t have a nervous breakdown and don’t hit the Chardonnay too hard. Now that I’m older, I know I’m not missing out on anything,” she says. “Now, I go home, and that feels really good. When I hit 30, I realized I didn’t have to please everybody. I could actually enjoy life, which is not a bad thing at all.”

So often, we find ourselves comparing our lives, our goals, even our hobbies to everyone around us. I’ve found myself doing that more times than I’d like to admit. We create this invisible standard that we feel like we MUST measure up to. It’s totally unrealistic, sure, but that’s not really the point. We think that if we measure up, then all our problems will be solved and our lives will suddenly be perfect. And then we’re disappointed when we realize that it’s not true — that the standard we’ve been holding ourselves to is nothing but a lie.

Thank you, Charlize! Isn’t her advice great and a breath of fresh air? What celebrity advice have you been loving lately? Do you have a favorite Charlize quote or movie? Let’s chat, friends! xoxo

[Via PEOPLE]