5 Millennial Life Lessons From Kendall Jenner

Kendall Jenner’s  life has already been extraordinary. Born into one of America’s most famous families, Jenner has found success as a model, social media phenomenon, reality television star, and entrepreneur, all before she reached the legal drinking age. Jenner’s experiences have provided the world with plenty of amusing Snaps, but they’ve also given her a singular outlook on life. Witty and honest in interviews without ever over-sharing, she provides quotes with a pragmatic view on fame, fashion, and growing up a Kardashian. In celebration of the superstar’s birthday, we take a look at the nine most valuable pieces of Kendall Jenner wisdom.

You never know when your big break is going to come.
“Some people are hesitant with me, and they just worry or wonder for a second,” she said. “But then when the chance gets taken . . .” —The New York Times, 2014

Finding your personal style takes time.
“Don’t get me started! When I was younger, I had zero sense of style. I couldn’t do my makeup—I was just a mess, but I just didn’t care about anything except for horses.” —British Vogue, 2016

Respect your individuality.
“I’ve always been super different from all my sisters, especially my Kardashian sisters. They’ve always been into the glam thing and dressing up every day and being in the thick of it. Part of me loves that, but at the same time, I love dressing down and having my private life.” —Vogue, September 2016

Never let gossip get to you.
“People say a lot of what they think, and it’s not always positive. And we never say anything. We just take it. And then when people meet us, they’re pleasantly surprised. Because we aren’t what people think. One of the best lessons I ever learned from my sisters is not to take everything so seriously. Just leave it alone—it will pᴀss in a week.” —Vogue, September 2016

Social media is great, but it isn’t reality.
“I hate it sometimes, like, I literally want to throw my phone so I can’t look at it. It’s all a made-up world if you think about it. Social media, everything, this interview, everything. It’s not real.” —The Sunday Times, 2015

Hard work can prove the naysayers wrong.
“That’s what a lot of people like to say about me, they’re like, Oh you just got this because of your family, but in reality it was almost the opposite. It made me work harder, it made me feel like I had to prove to these people that it’s what I want to be doing.” —Nightline, 2014

Learn from the women who came before you.
“This is a career—I want this to last for a long time. Not that I won’t venture out and do other things, but I want this to be like a Cindy Crawford thing: I want it to last until I am her age. That’s why I love her so much and why I look up to her: Her life now is something that I want my life to be like.” —Vogue, 2016

The greatest reward? Being an inspiration to someone else.
“I would always be looking at these supermodels who were so amazing to me; they were like superheroes. I want to be some little girl’s superhero. I want to be the best role model I can be.” —Nightline, 2014

Don’t take anything, even fame, too seriously.
“My sister Khloé always says to me and my younger sister, Kylie: You have your whole life to be an adult but only so long to be a kid. And we get it. In the right situations, I try to be as immature as I can, sometimes—react to things as if I were 12. You can’t take things too seriously.” —WSJ, February 2015