The Advice We'd Give to Our 25-Year-Old Selves

Dear Cecile,

Work with people who aren't like you, especially folks who've had fewer opportunities than you. They will enrich your life and put the world in perspective.

For a lot of your life you'll be taking care of someone—as a mom, a wife, a daughter. Find something that brings you joy, whether that's baking pies or playing the saxophone.

Most important, never turn down an opportunity. There's always going to be a reason to say no: You don't have the right clothes, the right experience, the right connections. Learn to say yes anyway.
—Cecile Richards, 54, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America