When I was little I had a conversation with my grandpa about how one day I would travel to all seven continents. His response was that it wasn’t possible because almost no one gets to go to Antarctica. He sparked my stubborn streak to prove him wrong. If I had known at ten years old how expensive all the adventures my naïve little brain dreamed up would be, I probably would have made very different decisions with my tooth fairy money.
Your early twenties are a pretty difficult time. During this time, we’re caught in the middle of two strongly opposing aspects of life: being emotionally independent, and being financially independent. While we’re old enough to start creating the image of the life we want, there isn’t always a clear path to get there. This has grown to become one of the most discouraging feelings I’ve ever known. I’ve lost track of how many nights I’ve spent trying to redo my math so that looks possible for me to afford that trip next winter; but so far it’s never happened. Social media adds even more to this struggle. Up until this point in life, you and all your peers have been in relatively the same place in life, experiencing all the same milestones together. After graduating high school, you all split onto separate, very different, paths for the first time. We all have that one friend who is out there living the life we wish we had; and we watch jealously wondering how the heck they’re managing it.
Whether your dream is traveling the world, graduating college, having a family, or ditching your home town: no matter how far away it feels at times, don’t let it get you down. If you don’t keep your head held high, you can’t see the horizon. The only thing in life that will actually stop you from getting there is if you stop moving.
[Insert cliché about how nothing good in life comes easily, and how it’s all about enjoying the journey here.] We’ve all heard it before, and honestly no motivational quote will make you feel much better when something you want so badly is so far out of your reach. However, there are so many other benefits to having to wait for your future. Use this time to learn to befearless. If you’re going to spend all this time dreaming about what you want, when an opportunity does present itself you better not spend a second in hesitation. Use this time to surprise yourself. I never imagined being able to handle working two jobs while taking summer classes, but knowing it’s the path that will take me where I want to be has actually taught me to enjoy it. Use this time to change your outlook. It’s how we handle ourselves in the hard times that truly define who we are. If you learn to love the life you’re living even when you don’t have everything you want, it can only go uphill from there.
Some days it might feel like your only a few steps down a road that has no end in sight. Maybe it feels like every time you make it a mile down this road a big wind takes you right back to where you started. But never forget why you started and never doubt your ability to push forward.
