Okay, so yes, I picked an arbitrary number, but when I grew up, I thought I would have it all at 25. To be fair, at 21, 22, and 23, I thought 25 would be the best year. Laughing at this notion because a pandemic decided to drop in, my mental health crashed due to grad school, and um, I barely ever left my house besides going to buy some more beer.
The whole point of this is to say, friends, you will (probably) not have it all and still feel lost at 25 (or plug-in an arbitrary number that you believe fits). Yes, this is where some of you think, wow, this chick is a negative nancy, but no, that is not the case. A small percentage of you will have your dream job, have met your significant other, and maybe at this exact moment are finding out you’re expecting a little one. For a select few of you, yes, by 25, you’ll probably have all you dreamed for, but for the rest of you, I’m here to tell you that if you don’t it’s ok.
We are made to believe that timelines and social media determine our success, but in fact, that is not true. We can struggle; we can fail. and yes, we can cry. It is fucking hard to survive a day on this earth — we are surrounded by sadness, negativity, and non-stop greed. Heck, we (myself included) consume and contribute to these factors, but I believe as we become more self-aware, we can diminish the effects they have on your life.
Yes, I have lived my life on a timeline. Graduate college, find a job, go back to grad school, buy a house…..etc. The timeline could exist until I’m 80 and thinking what have I done with all my time, but I am choosing to stop the timeline. It is okay to live for the day and be content with the success you have found. Yes, goals are good but when we live to accomplish our goal and move to the next one, are we truly living? I am not sure, but thus far, I’ve done that, and I don’t fully feel satisfied with the last few years of my life, so I believe that it is the path of evil.
Instead, take care of your head and soul. Feed your soul and nourish your mental health. Ignore the social media timelines because no one is posting their unhappy shit, and we all know that when someone does post about an ex-lover, we are secretly judging the fuck out of them for sharing their personal lives.
I don’t have the secret to happiness or success, but what I do know is that if you’re not happy with your life — only you have the power to change it. This (for most of us) means little changes every day until we are at a place where we feel happy. Do not stress about the timelines or the things you have not done.
You will one day do it all — if you choose to. I hope tomorrow you reflect and do one thing that feeds your soul.
xx — (Bri)e not the Cheese
