“I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU… BUT I’M LIVING LIKE I SHOULD AT 22”
Being in your early 20’s is such a weird age. As I’m scrolling through Facebook I see classmates or people younger than me announcing their engagement, pregnancy, new job, move out of state, etc. When I read those things I am so PUMPED for them but am subconsciously hit with the feeling of not being where I should be or need to be. When you get that feeling I want you to pump your brakes. I am also telling myself to pump my brakes. There is no finish line in life, there is no prize for getting married or having the first Kindergartener. Be happy for them, be their biggest supporter during these exciting times. There is nothing wrong with you and you are not behind.
The beautiful thing about being human is that we are all unique and have different timelines. Rushing through life is going to make it hard to live presently. Rushing creates a sense of urgency and frantic decisions. If it’s not happening to you at this moment, it doesn’t mean that it will never happen. And if it doesn’t happen, that’s okay too. You are not any less of a person if you don’t have a ring on your finger or you aren’t sailing the world, or if you’re curing cancer with your PhD. You are living YOUR story.
Think of it this way, what if every book you read had the same beginning, middle and end. You already know the outcome because that’s how all the stories end. How flipping boring would that be? How incredible is it that every book we read is different and makes us think in ways we might’ve never thought about. We get lost in the book and take things away from the story without even realizing it sometimes. That’s like life. No one’s story is the exact same, it can be similar but no one is living your life day by day. We are constantly changing and learning.
With that being said, if you have passions. Go for them. If you have dreams, make a plan and take the chance. The people in your life should be rooting for you, not telling you how to live (unless you are making very, very bad decisions). The people in your life shouldn’t look down on you because of where you’re at or haven’t accomplished yet. No one has life figured out, no matter how glamorous their life looks on Facebook, Instagram or whatever social media you’re scrolling through.
I just wanted to tell you that you are doing great. Fall in love with the journey. Fall in love with your story. No one can tell the story better than the author themselves ;) Unless you’re Morgan Freeman.