Kate Hudson At Forbes Women’s Summit: ‘Happiness Is Fleeting’
Kate Hudson recently took the stage at the Forbes Women’s Summit to speak about her philosophies on business, women’s issues, and mental health, all topics which Hudson believes are interconnected in more ways than most people realize. While Kate has made a name for herself as an actress, she was also speaking from the standpoint of an entrepreneur and businesswoman, having started up her own business, Fabletics, an athleisure clothing company, in 2013.
Kate Hudson Speaks On The Importance Of Mental Health And Being Okay With Not Being Happy
Ms. Hudson began her speech by pointing out that people put a great deal of stress on themselves without even realizing it, and Kate says the important first step is to recognize that and to be honest with oneself. Hudson added that, by learning how to recognize when one is doing that, it clears the way to becoming a better motivated self. Kate says another aspect of taking responsibility for the stress in one’s life is to understand that no one has to be happy all of the time.
Ms. Hudson tells women that staying motivated may mean “allowing yourself to feel down for a couple days. And then sort of picking up your bootstraps.”
“Joy doesn’t exist without sadness,” Kate explained. “You have someone sitting there like, ‘Come on! Come on!’ And you’re like, ‘Leave me alone!’ You need that balance. Happiness is fleeting.”
Hudson’s advice works for both genders in their everyday lives, as well as in their careers, and the actress reminds the audience that happiness is a deeply personal emotion in that one person can’t find joy and contentment for another person. She says each person has to be accountable for their own happiness and their own motivation in life, love, and business. Hudson says it’s human nature to want to point fingers and place blame, but she suggests pointing that finger inwards.
“And it’s a lot more powerful when you point them at yourself and ask yourself how you ended up where you are,” says Ms. Hudson. “And then you start to find that place where you really live your word.”
Kate Hudson Reveals Being Inspired By Mom, Goldie Hawn
Kate recalls being a little girl and hating the limousine driver, because he was the one she saw as taking her mom away everyday. Hudson says she eventually began to realize that Goldie was doing important work, because, as an actress, Hawn was setting the way for future generations of women. Kate says her mother was inspiring, because she worked hard to create opportunities for women.
When at home, Ms. Hudson says her mother was loved as a parent, and while Goldie did push her children to work hard, she never expected more of them than they could accomplish. Kate says while her mother expected them to work hard, it was equally important to Hawn that her children be happy in what they were doing.
Even now that she’s grown, Ms. Hudson says she’s still inspired by Goldie Hawn and often seeks out her opinions and listens to her thoughts on a variety of subjects.
“It’s not really advice so much as she’s my confidante and we talk about our life and her life, and we support each other now that I’m an adult,” says Kate. “Where she’s really wonderful is leading an authentic life and a truthful life.”
Kate Hudson told the audience at the Forbes Women’s Summit that she credits everything to her mom, from her outlook on mental health, to her success with her career and business ventures. She adds that the most important thing she learned from Ms. Hawn is to keep a sense of humor and to never take anything too seriously.
“I am who I am because of my mom, who, above anything else, loves to laugh,” Hudson reveals. “I inherited that from her — I love to laugh. She is a big believer in never taking anything too seriously and I like to think I am the same.”
[Image by Robin Marchant/Getty Images]
