“At 23, life satisfaction is at its highest.” –Reader's Digest
Recently, someone asked me when I hope to peak in life. I tried to muster up an answer, but I was dumbfounded. When should I peak in life?
Sure, I know how the world works; I know that my life won’t always be butterflies and roses. Someday I’m going to graduate and get a job. Someday I’ll get married and have a family. Someday I’ll start to age; my body will eventually start to decay. There will be a time where I achieve the height of my professional career. There will be a time where I reach a low in it. There will be the good and bad; there will be the easy and the difficult— who knows what the rest of my life will throw at me.
With all the crazy things that can happen in a lifetime, how does one even measure what a “peak” is?
To “peak,” by definition, is to reach a maximum, either of capacity, activity or value. People often talk about peaks in careers, which to many, can be measured by one’s job placement and financial status. Others talk about physical peaks— when your body is at its fittest, when you look your best and when your body is its healthiest.
And then there’s life satisfaction. There’s happiness. To me, that is what I believe a “peak” should be measured by— your overall content with your life.
However, with every “peak” comes a downhill slope to follow. With that, why would I ever aim to peak? Why would anyone? Allowing yourself to peak is permitting your life to decay and becoming complacent once it starts to.
I don’t want that, and you shouldn’t, either. You only have one life to live, so why let just one minuscule part of it be the best? You should strive to make every day, every moment, your new peak. Sure, maybe some things won’t go as planned, but at least you’ll be able to finish your life knowing that you sure-as-hell tried to make the most out of it.
Being in my early 20s, I’m not going to let 23 be best year of my life. I’m going to get better; I’m going to aim higher as my clock keeps ticking. My path may not always be a smooth uphill one, but at least it will keep going up.
