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Earlier this week, I interviewed the infamous Pat Benatar. Thanks for all your questions, I was able to squeeze most of them in! We chatted about life, work and dating — including whether she still believes love is a battlefield. A true inspiration, Benatar gave me advice about living out your dreams and things she wish she knew in her 20s. You can read an excerpt below and for the complete interview visit Lemondrop.

You talk a lot about trusting your gut. You write, in your memoir, “Rock and roll is really about following your passion with no apologies. Following that sound in your head that only you can hear.” What’s your advice to 20-somethings trying to find that passion and pursue their dreams?
You have to be smart, of course. You can’t just go running off to Kuala Lumpur throwing everything away. You don’t want to wreck your life in the pursuit of your dream. I have two girls — my youngest is 16 and my oldest is 25. I’m right in the thick of this with them. They struggle, they’re afraid to take a chance, of what people think. You’ve got to give it up. You have to stop worrying about this. You have to sit down and really examine what it is in your heart that you really want, what makes you happy. And don’t hurt anyone else in the process. Don’t trample others to have the dream that you want.

I think everyone should go for what they really, really love. You may only get to do this one time. Don’t be worried. Don’t think that you can’t have most of it. I’m of the belief that you cannot have it all. You can try. I think that you always have to make a sacrifice somewhere. I grew up during the women’s movement, and they told us we can have everything. It was a lie. You definitely cannot have everything, not 100 percent. You can have it all, but some part of it at different times in your life will have to take a backseat. If you choose to raise your children, your career will take a backseat for a little while. If you choose to pursue your career at a stronger pace, your kids will take a backseat. It’s just the ebb and flow of how life is. Don’t make yourself crazy thinking you have to be a superwoman. It’s not even possible. Think about what you want personally. Don’t let other things, don’t let the media, don’t let anybody tell you what you’re supposed to be, because only you know.

For more on Pat Benatar, visit her MySpace to hear some of her timeless classics.