Lessons from top achieving females in Q1 2023

Michelle Yeoh (60) - the first Asian to win the Oscar for best actress, Jennifer Coolidge (61) - a primarily character actress that won the Golden Globe Award for her supporting role, Sumi Jo (60) - one of the most renowned opera sopranos in the last three decades, and Jamie Lee Curtis (64) - an actress known mostly for her performances in horror genres that won an Oscar as the best supporting actress, are some of the coolest women who captivated my attention in Q1 this year. Their stories are all unique and inspiring. Each is surely gifted with immense talent but there is so much more to their stories than just pure talents. Passion, pioneering spirit, and living with purpose are the characteristics I see that stand out the most among these exceptional women that we could all learn from.

Focus on what you love doing.

They all had different beginnings to finding their passion. Michelle and Sumi’s mothers strongly influenced their choices when they were young. Jamie was exposed to theater through her parents, and ended up dropping out of a university studying law to pursue acting. Jennifer has cultivated her natural interest and found her way to acting.

Regardless of how they discovered their passion, the key is they sticked with it as long as they did because they love what they are doing. Michelle says she never feels like she’s going to work when she’s acting. How many times have we seen anyone say that about their works? Sure, acting is considered a ‘passion job’, so it’s different. No, not really. Although 95% of the people around me dread going to work on Monday mornings, there are a few who are excited to get out of bed for work. These people have the intrinsic drive that is not swayed by any of the extrinsic rewards such as money, titles, or fame. There is no way that people driven by extrinsic rewards can win over those who are intrinsically motivated. Those who do what they love, have infinite amount of drive, commitment, and grit, that cannot be matched by anyone else. They’re simply unstoppable.

If you’re reading this and are dreading to go to work tomorrow, you may want to ask yourself: when was the last time I felt like I was ‘in the flow’, fulfilled and accomplished? If you can remember that one moment, then you’re half way there. You’ll now just have to strive to do just a little bit more of that everyday. To be pragmatic, we can’t all quit our day jobs to do what we love. It’s entirely possible though that we do more of what we love in our day jobs. It’s just a matter of knowing what we love, sharing that with others, and actively finding ways to spend more time on it. Have patience and be persistent because as Paulo Coelho says, ‘when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.’

Don’t hesitate to be the niche that life hands you.

All the ladies here are pioneers in areas where their parents could have never predicted. Michelle Yeoh began as a ballerina and a beauty queen in Malaysia. She only learned to speak Mandarin and do martial arts later in life when she began her acting career in Hong Kong. That niche led her to Hollywood for the James Bond’s Tomorrow Never Dies, and of course, her Academy Award winning Everything Everywhere All at Once. Jennifer Coolidge has always wanted to be a dramatic actress, but the roles she landed have been comedic ones. She cultivated her niche and she’s now the leading female comedic actress of our times. Jamie, too, didn’t begin acting wanting to be a scream queen. However, horror films opened the gate to acting given her mother’s legacy as a horror icon.

When the right opportunity comes to do something that you’ve never done before, don’t be afraid to take the chance and give your all. If it’s a path that not many has taken on before, but you know deep inside that you can do it and will enjoy it, then just go for it. The ladies all took a risk to carve out their own paths, and they pioneered their own fields in such beautiful ways. Because we’re all unique, we must become pioneers in our own lives so that we can become more of who we’re meant to be.

Your mind is the only limit.

The resilience and commitment to excellence that these women embodied throughout their lives to be where they are now, is outstanding. Sumi and Jamie showed how generational dreams can be achieved, even at 60s, through their passion and hard work.It’s not a coincidence that they are all in their 60s and still on top of their games. They do not let any social norms define them. They helped paint a clear picture of what is possible in 60s for women. They shattered the stereotypes I had in my head of what women in 60s do, which were honestly all quite boring, passive, and timid. Big thanks to them, now I feel that it’s perfectly fine to be so cool in 60s. It was really, just my mind, that was limiting what is possible.

What makes these women continue to shine in their 60s is their approach to life, which is to live with a purpose. Purpose gives people grace, grit, and and gratitude to navigate life’s challenges. Purpose unlocks each person’s superpowers to be part of something bigger than themselves, and to do what they thought were initially impossible. My kids have given me a renewed, deeper sense of purpose. I feel more motivated to be the best version of myself each day. I hope to have positive impact with everyone I interact with whether virtually or in-person.

With passion, pioneering spirit, and strong sense of purpose, I have no doubt that we’ll continue to see even more women excel in any age or shape. In a firm voice, let’s remind our inner critiques that we can absolutely be limitless in any stage in our lives, if only we’ll let our own selves to just be.

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