Stay true to your 90 year old self

There are few topics that I have dedicated more than one post to: Quitting Tinder… Aerial adventures… The trainer from my gym who hasn’t figured out how to ask me out on a date yet.

And after today, we can add Linda Kaplan Thaler to the list. Remember her? She’s one of the authors of the book that inspired The Grit Factor post a few months ago.

You might not recognize her name, but you probably know her work. Do you remember the Herbal Essences “Yes! Yes! Yes!” commercials? Of course you do. Because they were brilliant. All Linda.

Or how about the Aflac duck? Ever wonder who came up with that? Mostly Linda.

Anyway. she’s making the rounds in the ad trades again and she is absolutely killing it with the unsolicited advice. In this article for AdAge, she tells people “to be true to your 90 year old self.”

“You know, if you’re afraid to go out and do something, usually your friends and family will want you to play it safe. … But if you talk to yourself as an older person, that older person is probably going to tell you, why didn’t you go for it? 

“So my advice to everybody is to ask your 90-year-old self what you should do and the answer becomes very clear. I wish I had done that more often.”

Oh Linda. The only way that advice could be more applicable to me is if you had begun with my full legal name.

Honestly. It’s like she sat in my brother’s kitchen a few weeks ago and listened to the conversation I had with my mother about writing a book.

“When are you going to do that?” she asked.

“I want to,” I said. “But I would have to take time off from work.”

“Time off?! From your good job?!” she yelled. “Why can’t you just write it on your vacations?”

Even my father laughed at that one.

But I get it – moms like playing it safe. Good thing your 90 year old self doesn’t feel the same.

Question is, who are you listening to?