Maria Shriver: ‘Strive to Be Interesting’

Did your mother [Eunice Kennedy Shriver] talk to you about your health when you were growing up?

She always said, “Health is your greatest asset.” And she always said to me, “Your brain is your greatest asset.” Every time someone would come up and go, “Oh, you’re a pretty girl,” she [would say], “Your looks are going to go. Focus on your brain.” She always struggled with her health throughout life, so she was always stressing the importance of honoring your health and protecting your health and trying to understand your health. And if you had your health, you had everything. And she was right.

Has it been challenging for you to handle aging as a public figure?

It is what it is. You do the best you can with what you have, and you try to pull it together as best you can.... Everybody has to look in their own mirror.... Strive to be interesting. If you are interesting and interested at any age, that can make you the most interesting person in the room. I’ve always, through God’s grace, been interested in other people and their stories. And it’s why journalism was such a good fit for me [Shriver is a special anchor at NBC News and founder and CEO of Shriver Media] .... I’ll never be the best-dressed person in the room, or the youngest person, or the prettiest, or the this or that, but I’ll probably be one of the most interested people in the room.

Shriver, seen here in 2017 with children Katherine, Christina, Patrick and Christopher Schwarzenegger, is a passionate advocate for specialized women's healthcare.

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What do you personally do to stay mentally and physically sharp?

I work. I laugh. I have a purpose. I have friends. I prioritize my sleep. I try to prioritize exercise. I’m excited about my work.... I’m inspired by my work. I’m energized by the people I get to meet. Having purpose keeps you young. I never think that I’m old. I don’t think about it at all. I just think about: What are the goals that I’m trying to achieve? What is my purpose? What is my mission? What is my relationship with my God, my children, my friends?

How do you de-stress when you need a break?

I walk a lot. I go to dinner with friends. I try to laugh as much as possible. Balance is always important, having rituals. You should honor yourself and take care of yourself. But I’m curious. I don’t find work to be a drag. I find work to be fun. I find going to the park with my granddaughter [3-year-old Lyla Maria, whose parents are Katherine Schwarzenegger and Chris Pratt] fun.

What else is fun to do with your granddaughter?

Everything I do with her is fun. I walk with her, I go to the park with her, I go out to lunch with her. I don’t know what isn’t fun. You’re discovering entire new human beings. [Schwarzenegger and Pratt also have a 20-month-old daughter, Eloise Christina.] You’re learning about them, who they are. They’re unveiling themselves to you in real time, and you have limited time to make an impact in their life, so I try to do everything and anything I can with them. I try to be a support to my daughter, who’s like all young mothers, balancing a lot.

What does it take to be a good mother-in-law?

Respect and communication. It’s the same whether you’re a mother-in-law or whether you’re a friend: healthy respect, honoring people’s boundaries, being a communicative person, trying to be an understanding person. I really value my son-in-law. He’s made my daughter really happy, and he’s a good father, a good husband and a good human being.

What would you tell your younger self?

I don’t spend a lot of time on that [but], “Good for you. Here you are, Maria, you’re still cooking.” I wouldn’t go back and change it up. So I think it’s all good.