I turned 24 a couple of months ago, and you know what comes with age aside from wisdom? Yes, self-imposed timelines based on unrealistic goals and societal expectations.
As I was blowing my birthday candle, I caught myself thinking, "Oh my gosh. I'm in my mid-twenties." And when that came to mind, my brain immediately went through this whole overthinking spree about what a 24-year-old person should be doing, achieving, earning, and all those things.
Do you feel me? Are you also going through the same situation?
Looking around, there are so many people within the same age range as ours who are accomplishing such great things. Some are launching their own brands and businesses, some are earning this much, some are traveling to these places, some are getting engaged, some are going to grad school, some are starting their own families, some are moving abroad, some are investing in properties. The list goes on and on.
And I guess, you know what happens next after that whole complete scan of everyone we know and everything that keeps them all busy. Yes, we go back to ourselves and start analyzing what we're doing with our lives. So, the pressure starts to build up as we keep asking the same questions: Am I on the right track? What am I supposed to do with my life?
Well, upon trying to untangle all the musts and shoulds, I found the answer, and it was honestly as simple as this:
Whatever you want to, silly.
It came to me that above anything else, we should be asking ourselves what we really want, what truly matters to us, and what kind of life we actually want to live.
If that's getting a promotion, then, by all means, work for it. If that's traveling to the Bahamas, savor that well-deserved vacation! If that's renovating your ancestral home, go ahead and save up for it!
On the other hand, sure, other 24s may be out there moving in their new corner office, shopping furniture for their new house, test-driving their new car or whatnot but if those things don't matter to you and me, there's no point trying to pressure ourselves to achieve them.
When we're sure of what we want, we save ourselves from all the unnecessary drama of comparing ourselves to other people's progress and from all the time, effort, and money spent going after something we're not passionate about just because we saw someone else doing the same thing.
I read somewhere that it's so easy to romanticize the lives other people are living but at the end of the day, only you and I can decide what kind of life we want to live.
Instead of worrying about how we pace in comparison to other people, let's focus our attention on learning more about ourselves and discovering what we value in this life. I believe that then, and only then, can we be truly happy and be able to give back to the world that nurtures us.
As I end this note, I would like to leave you with two questions.
What matters to you?
And for every decision, opportunity, or crossroad you'll have to face, I hope the second question guides you on which path to take.
Is this aligned with who you are and what matters to you?
Sending you love and light as you go through this journey of living in alignment with your truest self.
May we all be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words, and actions of our own lives contribute in some way to that happiness and freedom for all.
Stay sunny,
Yza