Girl vs Woman...

I took this from CLEO,Issue no. 173,March 2010..

1. As a girl you used to dress for the boys.
As a woman you will dress for other women.
(Girls invariably dress-up with the aim of enhancing their sex appeal, pairing snazzy pants with flashy blouses or short skirts with spaghetti-strap tops.Women, on the other hand, no longer care about what men think of their butts or legs or boobs.This is not to say that they are slobs.It's just that their motivations for looking good are more mature,you might say.They dress,in effect,for women.)

2. As a girl you used to look for a job that will make you happy.
As a woman you will find happiness in your work,whatever it is.
(The average career of any 20-something female may be characterised by a spell of avid job-hoping during the ages of 18 and 26,followed by a series of more permanent positions that last for anything between two years and two decades.This is when the girl transitions to a woman.She finally understands that it is not the job's responsibility to make her happy,but her responsibility to be happy doing the job.)

3. As a girl you used to go for the cutest guy a girl like you could find.
As a woman you will go for the smartest guy a woman like you can find.
(We might start out looking for virile guys whom we think will give us lots of strong babies,but as soon as we leave the relative comfort of our parent's homes and start carving out our own existence,we realise that the world is over-populated and that while babies are nice,they are also expensive.That's not to say that women don't want babies anymore,because they do.The characteristics women look for choosing a life partner are more to do with a man's potential in his career rather than his looks.)

4. As girl you used to get by with fast food,slimming belts and four hours of sleep.
As a woman you will watch your diet,exercise regularly and make sure you rest well.
(If you're still having trouble imagining the weight of your unhealthy living coming back to haunt you,consider this easy comparison: If you smoke for 2 years,your teeth will turn yellow.If you smoke for 10 years,your whole mouth turns grey.And it will never go back to normal.Women take charge of their lifestyle choice for the sake of their health and beauty.Girls who are ready to should do the same.)

5. As a girl you used to shop,shop,er,shop.
As a woman you will earn,budget,shop and save.
(If there is one thing that separates and adults from an adolescent,it is their attitudes towards money.Money makes the world go round,and if you don't start saving now,you'll never be able to catch up with your life's plans.Women understand that compound interest - the interest you earn on your interest - means the sooner they start saving for their retirement, the better. Marc Jacobs shoes and Prada handbags will be of little comfort in your old age.However,a comprehensive medical plan and mature trust fund will.)

6. As a girl you used to argue or give in; bluster and fight.
As a woman you will speak up or compromise; listen and apologise.
(Unfortunately,girls rarely realise how valuable family and friends are until they are gone.Women,however,learn to hang on to the good people in their lives in spite of all their little disagreements - the world is a nasty place full of liars and users and manipulators,and you take what you can get.If it means walking away to save yourself grief,so be it,too.)

Sincerely,
ALIA