As the weather gets warmer and high school and college graduations kick into full swing, many of us might be reflecting on our youth, or thinking about want kind of wisdom we want to pass on to the recent graduates in our lives. Hindsight can be a blessing, and over the years we’ve accumulated plenty of advice we wish we could’ve given our younger selves — and so too have some of our favorite celebrities!
In our online interviews and the pages of our print magazines, we frequently ask the stars what advice they’d give their younger selves, and the answers are inevitably revealing. Here are some of our favorite responses — sure to inspire you as well as any graduates you know.
1. Suzanne Somers: “Stop trying to be perfect”
In 2023, not long before she sadly passed away, Three’s Company star and ’70s icon Suzanne Somers told us, “I used to beat myself up and I always felt I needed to be better. But if I were to tell my younger self something now, I’d say stop trying to be perfect — enjoy each day of this beautiful life, you lucky girl!”
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2. Roma Downey: “Stop comparing yourself”
Actor and author Roma Downey, the star of Touched by an Angel and The Baxters, said, “I would tell my younger self to stop comparing yourself to somebody else. You’re giving your joy away.”
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3. Jennie Garth: “Get ready for a lot of rejection”
’90s teen queen Jennie Garth, who starred on Beverly Hills, 90210, said her advice to younger self would be, “Get ready for a lot of rejection. Just know it’s coming, so it doesn’t hurt as bad, and hold your head up high, no matter what, because it’s a rollercoaster.”
MUST-READ: Jennie Garth Talks Revisiting ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ and the Advice She’d Give Her Younger Self
4. Marie Osmond: “Make peace with your body”
Singer and businesswoman Marie Osmond shared the advice, “Give yourself a break. I came from an era and an industry where you are very hard on yourself, but when I got healthy and got my weight under control and started being active again, I had to make peace with my body and do that self-talk like, ‘I’m really sorry. You have been so good to me when I have not been so good to you.’”
MUST-READ: Marie Osmond Shares the Advice She’d Give Her Younger Self: “Give Yourself a Break, Make Peace With Your Body” (EXCLUSIVE)
5. Christie Brinkley: “Just relax and enjoy yourself”
Supermodel Christie Brinkley mused, “When you’re young, you always feel like ‘they’ and ‘them’ are judging you. When you’re younger, you need to understand that this is an invisible rule, and very often the thing that you consider a flaw within yourself is actually what makes you the most unique. It’s what is appreciated about you. So just relax and enjoy yourself and know that whatever makes you most unique is the most original, amazing thing. And it’s enough.”
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6. Delilah: “Don’t give yourself away”
Veteran radio host Delilah said, “If I could go back to my 21-year-old self, I would say, ‘Don’t give yourself away.’ So many young women do what I did looking for love and validation. I would say, ‘You’re worth it. Wait until somebody truly loves you and honors you and respects you, and will move mountains for you. Wait until you meet your best friend.’”
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7. Kristina Wagner: “Your voice matters”
Soap star Kristina Wagner, a mainstay of General Hospital, said, “If I could give my younger self advice today, I would tell her that her voice matters. That you don’t need to give up so much of yourself all the time. That you need to honor what you’re feeling. Feelings are really important and if you’re ignoring them, then the rest of your life is going to be in disarray. It’s one of the most important lessons I’ve learned.”
8. Sara Haines: “You’re going to have good days and bad ones”
The View co-host Sara Haines shared, “I’d tell a younger me: ‘You’re not going to be the most talented, loving, popular, perfect, person. You’re going to have good days and bad ones, too.’”
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9. Daphne Oz: “Give up on some of the rigidity”
MasterChef Junior judge and cookbook author Daphne Oz revealed, “What advice I would give myself today is to take it one day at a time and learn to enjoy the experience as it’s coming to you… Ultimately it’s about being a little bit flexible… Give up on some of the rigidity you have set for yourself.”
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