30-year-old actress, writer, producer, and director, Lena Dunham has become an icon for women of all ages. Her wit, charm and honesty radiates into everything she does, especially in her new book, "Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's 'Learned'." The book is a voice for our generation, can answer all the questions girls our age have about things, lets young girls know they aren't the only ones embarrassing situations happen to and gives girls an understanding of the experiences that happen in our culture. I finished the book in one sitting and it was probably one of the best reads. It was very bolstering. Here are the lessons I've learned from Dunham herself and her book:
1. Know that it is OK to laugh at yourself.
This goes hand-in-hand with knowing who you are and being comfortable with yourself. Dunham embodies self-confidence and knowing who you are. Dunham has taught me that when you make a mistake or trip and do something embarrassing in front of a guy, that it's OK to laugh at yourself and just make the best of that situation.
2. No relationship is worth changing yourself.
In her book, Dunham openly talks about past relationships and what she learned from all of them. As much as we feel we love one person, if you are vigorously trying to make it work, either by trying to change them or yourself into someone you want to be, until you learn. Relationships emotionally test yourself, and Dunham shared, "I feel like you don't know if someone's equipped for a romantic relationship until they're out of their twenties.” But sometimes you just can't help loving a jerk, and all those jerks are worth it once you find the one person for you (in Dunham's case she's in a long term relationship with musician Jack Antonoff).
3. Finding something your passionate about can help you find your inner strength.
Like Dunham, I've found myself in writing, photography and music. Knowingly people find and define themselves with what they know and what they are taught, but they don't truly find who they are until they take a step back, and finding something you're passionate about can make the world feel more open. You can unknowingly find your inner strength within your passions. Through my love of music and certain artists, I've gained a love for black and white photography. B&W photography for me takes away a piece of reality and gives myself comfort, and I find solace in it. It makes me feel less exposed to the outside world and it leaves the photo up for interpretation for different people. That passionate feeling I have about it gives me my inner strength and is something I never thought about until reading Dunham's book.
4. Being / wanting to be lazy is perfectly OK.
"I can't overstate how much I hate leaving the house." - Lena Dunham
"I am anti-pants. No pants are the best pants." - Lena Dunham
I'll finish this article with one of my favorite quotes by Lena Dunham, which pretty much embodies what I've learned from her and her book, and something I hope you understand too.
"No matter what happens with your level of success, you still have to deal with all the baggage that is yourself." - Lena Dunham
