Wisdom from Amy Poehler

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"Good for her! Not for me."

While shopping with friends in Portland recently - at the famous Powell's Bookstore - I came across this quote from Amy Poehler that I think could very well save millions of female friendships the world over: "Good for her! Not for me." 

Amy uses this phrase often in her book, when talking about her friend Maya Rudolph who had a home birth, or other women she knows who don't work outside the home, and it works brilliantly to both celebrate the other woman's choices and accomplishments and to stave off any competition or jealousy that may arise. I wish I had had this phrase at my disposal when I was a young mother. 

"She sleep trained her child and now he sleeps through the night every night?" "Good for her! Not for me."

"She is still nursing her three year old as well as her new baby?" "Good for her! Not for me."

"She uses only cloth diapers, washes them in enviro-friendly detergent and then hangs them out to dry?" "Good for her! Not for me!"

It would have saved me a lot of angst, self-doubt and hatred (mostly of myself). 

It's not too late though. I encounter situations in which to use this every day. "She is a single mom to two kids, stars in her own sitcom AND just wrote her first book?" "Good for her! Not for me." 

Thanks Amy :) 

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