Reese Witherspoon spoke Friday, Sept. 8, at a conference in Boston about how she maintains her friendships in her busy life. “Edit your friendships. Everyone out there over 40 knows. If you are not adding to my life, get out of my life. My grandmother used to say that people are like radiators or drains. Stay in the radiators.”

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When it came time to open up about how she’s dealt with rejection, Witherspoon admitted, “Rejection was such an early part of my life that I learned a long time ago that what other people think of me is none of my business. What other people think of you, and everyone will have an opinion, doesn’t matter.”

He added: “I really don’t care what anyone thinks. I will do my job as best I can. I’ll date anyone I want, even my friend that no one might like. When you are freed from the feeling that other people’s opinions don’t matter to you – you don’t want to be held down, then you are free. You are completely free.”

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Last August, the Oscar-winning actress settled for divorce from her husband, Jim Toth, after 12 years of marriage, and they have a 10-year-old son, Tennessee.