Who am I? Is there one definite answer? For me, I'd hope not. I would define myself as someone who is evolving, changing, growing, and someone who never settles. All for the better, of course.
But do those adjectives define me?
I am an athlete, a dancer, a creator, a student, an employee, a child to my parents, a niece to my aunts and uncle, a friend. Do those define me?
Or are those my parts that make me up as a whole? To define oneself using a few words or even a word is setting a limit, and who likes limits? There are endless possibilities to who you are and who you can/ will be.
There is a point to all of this.
On Thursday, September 17, I turn 20 years old. I am not the same person as I was when I was 2 or 10 or 15 or 18, but then again, I am but I have changed, emotionally, intellectually and physically, to who I am right now. Right very now at 20. Those challenges, experiences and life lessons have shaped me. So, Lauren, happy birthday.
20 years, 7,300 days, 175,200 hours, 10,512,000 minutes and 630,720,000 seconds. Or something like that. I think filling life with substance matters most. Have I experienced and done what I have wanted to do in the last 20 years? What I don’t want is to have wasted time and see what gets thrown my way. I have traveled places where it takes people their entire lives to travel. I have had wonderful educational experiences. The people in my life have (mostly) been positive. My opportunities are endless.
For the next twenty years, or to the Lauren at age 40, I hope to never stop growing, learning and experiencing. Here are five long- term goals I have for myself within the next twenty years.
- Travel to all 50 states.
- Travel throughout Europe.
- Basically travel the world.
- Landed my dream job (whatever that is)
- Volunteer on a regular basis
There are more goals I want to achieve; however these are long- term goals I would really like to pursue.
And to close, I would like to leave 20 things I have learned throughout my 20 years of existence. Seems appropriate, right?
1. Rely on yourself
2. It is what it is
3. You can always say no
4. Being nice always wins
6. Don't waste time
7. If you want something work hard and get it
8. Have a little fun every day
9. You're mom is always right
10. Dogs are better than people
11. Family support is everything
12. Taking a leap of faith is sometimes needed
13. It's okay to not know or to not know what you're doing
14. It's okay to ask for help
15. Giving back is more important and special than receiving
16. It's okay so splurge once in a while
17. Cussing, screaming and throwing a fit helps after a bad day, but after you're done, it's best to move on
18. Being a friend to someone does have an impact no matter how well you know the person
19. Tell the people around you that you love them and do it often
20. Life is full of ups and downs but it's always important to be thankful for what you have
Just a little side note- this article was not planned to get so in depth, but somehow it all just came out. Maybe this will inspire you to take a step back and think about your life.
