The Rules According to Vanessa Williams

My mom mailed me a copy of this article "The Rules according to Vanessa" from More Magazine's May 2007 Issue.

Even though I am not in the More Magazine age group the information can pretty much work for everyone.

Adapted from The Rules According to Vanessa

(Photo Credit: aol.com)

Vanessa Williams, mother of four and a two-time Grammy winning singer, shares her rules to live by.

1. Don't Take It Personally, Darling
"In our twenties and thirties, we take things too seriously-with our girlfriends, our boyfriends, then our husbands and our coworkers. Ninety percent of the time, if someone trashes you, it has nothing to do with you. You have learned a big lesson when you can finally stop thinking, 'Why did they say that? 'Why didn't they call?' and instead say, 'Wow, guess that person is having a bad day.'"

2. Remember: The Harder You Fall, The Better
"I attribute one of my personal mottos to James Joyce: 'First you feel, then you fall.' I've learned that in order to take chances, you've got to feel yourself at the edge of the cliff. You'll never know the ecstasy of soaring if you don't take that step and fall-whether it's falling in love, falling into a new situatuion or trusting yourself to make the right choice. I almost didn't take the role of Wilhelmina because they moved production to L.A., and I was scared to be apart from my kids. But they encouraged me to take a chance. Now I have a great part and split my week between work in California and home in New York."

3. Skip The Midlife Angst And Go Straight For The Sports Car
"For my fortieth birthday, I got a Maserati coupe, a spots car with paddle shifting and a great-sounding engine. It's really fast-plus I get big props from the guys on the set of Ugly Betty because I can handle it. They love to hear me zoom up and screech to a halt. Being able to get the toys I want is one of the true luxuries of getting older. I wish I'd always known about options like climate control-to think, I used to just roll down a window."

4. Live Fearlessly
"I was a little rebellious when I was younger. Now I use my fire in the belly a different way. I don't look for trouble but I do look for thrills: I ride fast horses, sail, parasail and paraglide. My kids are definitely used to Outward Bound trips with Mom. I never want to completely conform or lose my zest for life."