Hello, fellow 20-Somethings, this is your elder speaking.
Yes, it is I, the 29-year-old! The 20-Something who wears her growing-into-adulthood battle wounds with dark pride. Who looks upon the freshly turned 20-Somethings, with their hopes and dreams, with the level and steady gaze of a war veteran saying,
"You ain't seen shit yet kid."
Like many fellow 29ers who feel the pressures of 30, I don't have my shit together. There are a lot of holes I've spent the past year filling in, everything from my account balances, career skills, joint and muscle strength, critical friendships, to figuring out WTF I even want from of the rest of my life.
I was that starry-eyed 20-Something who listened to the,
"Follow your dream and you'll never work a day in your life,"
bull shit that was hooked up in the Age of Affluence which didn't account for a global economic recession or planet-wide pandemic. I planned my life to have the most adventures I could by age-30, thinking the life-partner, career and retirement scheme would sort itself out (spoilers, they didn't).
My advice:
never compromise your ethics, but always question them
you're rarely ever right, but you're also smarter and more capable than you think
identify your limits and boundaries, communicate them when appropriate, and STICK TO THEM no matter what anyone says or does. If someone can't respect your boundaries, they don't respect you, and no one needs that negativity.
know your own mind, form your own opinions, and always be open to listening to a new and controversial viewpoints
do everything that scares you, you believe to be wrong, or "isn't for you" but doesn't compromise your ethics
family is important. You will hate them at times, but they will be there for you decades later when no one else is
learn personal financial management EARLY, and I'm not talking just balancing a budget, I'm talking about planning for the future and self-discipline to figure out how to get yourself to do the big AND small things you want to do as stress-free as possible
MOST importantly, figure out what your core values are, what's most important to you in life, and never lose sight of or compromise on them.
Like I said, I DON'T have my shit together. I've made a lot of mistakes, had a lot of good AND bad luck, and I'm trying (like everyone else) to find my way through this labyrinthian "Wonderland" with its bulls, caterpillars, mushrooms, fireflies, pixies and Big Cats.
The world has become a VERY different place than when I first turned 20. I wish I had a better handle on everything, but I (like everyone) am just doing the best I can with the knowledge, skills and resources I have. All I know is that it doesn't matter how many times I fall flat on my face, of which there is a lot. The most important thing is to get up and keep moving.
Best
Jessica
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