As our Words of Wisdom collection of actionable advice from people we love – inspired by Esteé Lauder's Drops of Advice campaign– rolls on, we turn our attention inward to our own, amazing staff. First up is our Deputy Ed, Neha Gandhi. Already an online vet with stints at the websites of Harper's Bazaar and Seventeen when she came to us, Neha is our resident editorial perfectionist. But how did she get here? By being good to herself. Read on!
Neha Gandhi, Deputy Editor, Refinery29
"The words of wisdom I try to live by come from my parents. As perfectionists who have always pushed me to be my best, they temper their message with the understanding that I should be good to myself and forgive my own mistakes. Both of them always say: 'Be kind to yourself — both to who you are now, and who you have been before.' Those words of advice have stuck with me in my most self-critical moments, reminding me to embrace my missteps as the things that form the person I am today. After all, if I can't see my own life through a slightly rose-colored lens, it’s hard to expect anyone else to follow suit, right?"
Photos: Photographed by Erin Yamagata, Courtesy of Neha Gandhi.