The year 2015 marked the 30th anniversary of my birth. According to social norms, at 30, you should have dominated your 20s. This means, you are at the peak of your career while simultaneously building a family and so on and so forth.You are ready to take on the next decade with a vengeance. You will be but not in the way the world already ascribed for you.
Turning 25 is almost a wake-up call for most people, they are 5 years from dooms day and they are still working at that entry-level job, eating take-out, still single with a sporadic dating pattern, some independence but not the glorious cookie-cutter image plastered all over the media. Not everyone gets the call at 25. Some didn’t have service or refused to pick up the phone. Sometimes, at 25 some are half-way there, so in a panic they try to cram everything in so that 30 wouldn’t look so bad. They stay stuck in a dead-end job, at a decent position and salary because looks good. Proudly proclaiming that they are the so and so at whatever company but they hate the job and the people and you complain about everything. They marry some guy or girl because they ‘love’ them and you can’t be 30 and unmarried. The relationship was always strained but they hope to God that it works out, God forbid they’re not the one, right? Prudently fulfilling their reproductive duty because a child after 30 is such a big risk and they want to be young enough to engage in physical activity with them.
I could drop so many different scenarios but it really doesn’t matter what goals you’ve accomplished, turning 30 feels like the end of the road and you’re a worthless piece of trash. That’s how I felt last year and after talking to a few people, I realized this was a common thing. Turning 30, feels like the end. Let’s all agree that this is obviously not the best feeling in the world so, if you’re about to hit 30, stop it. It’s not the end, it’s the opposite. You are about to enter a whole different part of your life and you’ll love it!
The reality is, life happens and If your response is, ‘no shit Sherlock’, just hear me out.Some goals are accomplished before others, some you’re still working on and there are a few that are on the back burner because the outlook appears dim and you need to muster up some energy to tackle that.
We go through life and to be honest, we’re expected to grow though it too. Are you learning anything? Are you a better person? Have you learned anything from the lessons life taught you?
We can achieve so much with the right mindset, opportunities, and resources. What is the right mindset? A positive mindset is the right one. I strongly believe that the way you think influences your actions and how you speak. A positive mindset does not mean you disregard negative things. Weighing the pros and cons of every situation will put your situation into perspective. You have to use what is available to you to make it work. So, you don’t have the finances to push that business idea, what else can you do to start? Start somewhere. Do something. Wallowing in self-pity gets you nowhere.
Turning 30 was just the beginning. I stopped feeling bad about what I didn’t have and started appreciating all that I had already accomplished. I started working with what I have, using every available resource to my advantage. I have encountered so many disappointing situations. I could’ve given up, I’ve come close to doing it. Stop feeling like a failure, stop overthinking, stop walking around comparing your journey to everyone else’s. No two people are exactly alike, similarly, your journey is yours, no one else’s.
The thing is, whether you’re 17, 25, 30, 35 or even 45, life happens. Reality will smack you silly and waking up will seem like a brand new day. Whether you bloom at 23 or 63, take pride in knowing that you have come a far way with still much more to conquer.
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