We all know the pain and confusion that come with that frantic point in one’s life — becoming an adult. Getting steady jobs. Paying rent. Grocery bills. Balancing a checkbook. Writing a check. Getting a worthwhile degree. Finding a career. Contemplating the consequences of dropping out of college and becoming a full-time dog sitter. Well, I’m talking about a different type of adulting. I’m here to tell you about when your maturity level balances out, and you allow yourself to build a new chipper attitude to go about this thing called life. It may not be super obvious that you’ve reached this sort of nirvana. You may have already done it, and you have no idea. It’s not a fun thing to come by. The process of reaching happiness sucks. Some people are slammed into it with a bad friend breakup. Some people ease into it with small cutoffs over time. Whenever and however you’ve hit it, you’ll find yourself a million and two times happier. When you hit your point, there will be a few changes you might notice.
1. You won’t care
Perhaps the most noticeable change of all — you’ll be completely uninterested in the cheap drama around you. Your high school gossipy self is gone. “OMG so-and-so had sex.” Cool. Hope they used a condom.
2. You’ll put yourself first for once
You’ve given yourself a goal. You need to do whatever it takes to reach it. Even if you’re like me, who drops everything for everyone when a hand is needing to be held, will have at least one time when they need to be by themselves for a few hours.
3. You think back on life and think, “LOL”
Distancing yourself from everything that bothered you before puts forth a vastly different perspective. You come to realize that boy didn’t mean a whole lot to you. That girl’s opinion didn’t have to hurt you. That jerk teacher you had wasn’t totally terrible. Everything that was the end of the world back then seems so incredibly petty now.
4. The makeup isn’t for them. It’s for you.
Or that button-up. Whatever it is that makes you feel dapper. You find your self-confidence in doing things that make you happy. A huge lesson in life — other people can’t see you at your best if you’re not letting yourself be your best.
5. You’ll get annoyed by people who haven’t hit their point yet
Other people who don’t have their life together will become your biggest pet peeve. They don’t have a sleep schedule. They party the night before their exam. Then the next night. And the next. They’re petty and have some things to learn about respect. You don’t have room for people who don’t take life seriously.
6. You find yourself being more respectful of the people around you
You may have always known the Golden Rule, but now you know you’ll be executing it. You’ll be tired of rude people. It’s unnecessary and ruins everyone’s day. When you realize that all that really matters in life is being happy, you’ll get this warm fuzzy feeling inside that’ll have you wanting everyone else happy too.
7. You’ll find yourself alone more often, and that’s OK
You are your best support system. Nothing can get done without you. Of course, you’ll want some company for the journey, but you’ll take caution with whom you choose. When getting your life in check, immaturity won’t be found on your to-do list. People who keep you back with drama or unnecessary bulls--- don’t get a time slot in your planner.
Now by all means, none of this is meant to sound like you’re a fully responsible adult who can’t have fun. This is college, where the time of your life begins. The time to make mistakes and look like an idiot is now. This is when you create the stories you’ll tell your children about one day. So go out, go to a party, begin your Saturday morning on the bathroom floor. Do whatever your heart desires. The only difference is you can choose how your experience goes based on your outlook on life and whom you surround yourself with.
Life may seem terrifying, but adulting is worth the struggle to find the happiness that will come with it.
