There have always been cliché's about getting older and wiser. But when you're young and stupid, you always dismiss them and live by simpler ones like YOLO. But now that your life consists of more than popularity and prom, you begin to realize that clichés are clichés for a reason. They're thoughts that have been proven true by people much wiser than you and I. As you get older, you begin to appreciate them and take them for what they're worth. Understanding them and applying them are signs that you're growing up.
You respect your parents and all they’ve done for you more than ever.
Distance really does make the heart grow fonder -- even in regards to family. You know you've matured when you actually take your mom's advice instead of just rolling your eyes; when you are able to miss and appreciate your family and realize what they mean to you.
Your friends mean more to you now than you would've ever thought.
You've always had a special place in your heart for all of your friends. They've always been super important to you. But now you realize that most of your life really relies on them. You don't have your family to hang out with all of the time. You need someone to make memories with or de-stress with. College really is where you find your forever friends. It's no longer just hanging out with a friend group with some you might barely know. But now it's a more mature, more appreciative lasting relationship that I have already realized that I will cherish for the rest of my life.
You realize you have responsibilities that need to be tended to.
Getting older comes with more responsibility. You've probably heard that every week since you got your first chore or your first goldfish. But your parents were right. Sometimes the things that end up being more important are responsibilities that you can't avoid. Now, my parents pay for my education, so it's not like I can just not do my homework like I did in high school. I have to stay on top of my finances, and not blow all of my cash that I earn at a job now. I can't take a day off like I would from high school. Age comes with responsibility and eventually we all come to accept that.
You understand that some things are more important than others.
Realizing the responsibilities you now have, makes you learn how to prioritize. But you also learn the importance of different aspects of your life. You learn that a phone call home is more important to you than catching up on your favorite TV show. Or that you did all you could for your friend and their crisis but the paper that's worth half your grade takes precedence. You realize that the world is bigger than you. And there are infinite ways that can be interpreted and acted upon. You've come to terms with the saying, "You win some, you lose some" and, "Choose your battles" because you now know they're true. Some things aren't worth the time or the thought. And accepting that is a huge step.
Accepting that watching what you eat is important.
Believe it or not, you can no longer eat insane amounts of food and just wake up the next morning to food-baby-be-gone. The unlimited amount of food in the cafeteria in college can be really hard to resist. And before you know it, you're on your fourth helping of spaghetti and you're eyes are still locked on the ice cream. But as you start munching on lettuce and drinking insane amounts of water instead, you realize that when you eat that other junk food, you actually feel worse. You've learned the hard way that what you put into your body matters. Especially when we're talking about grabbing a bite before that 8 a.m. class.
You've learned how to put yourself first.
Not everyone you encounter is going to be as pleasant and kind as you are. Nor is everyone you associate yourself with or everything you're involved in. You learn how to recognize when enough is enough and to stand up for yourself and respect your values. You'll have to learn to live with yourself through decisions, good and bad. So why not make some in your own interests?
You acknowledge personal traits you have and appreciate them.
Being in college, you've had to learn to live on your own. You've had to learn to live without best friends, boyfriends, and your family. Which gives you ample time for self-reflection. You are exposed to traits of your own that you've never paid mind to before. You suddenly begin to become aware of your hunger for new experiences, for your innate generosity and sentimentality.
But along with that comes acknowledging faults that you have and coming to peace with them.
Like your ugly toes or your tendency to make rash decisions because of your very present emotions. But that's you and you've come to terms with that. And I think that speaks volumes in regards to discovering who you really are.
The future is inevitable and you recognize that. But you've learned not to focus on it exclusively, you know how to appreciate you now.
College is one step closer to the real world. And there's a constant reminder everywhere you look. Especially since you're now technically living on your own. You're constantly signing up for things to build up your resume. The search for internships that are worth your time is endless. But nothing is worse than that lingering thought of "What am I going to do for the rest of my life?" when signing up for classes or hearing what others are majoring in. You're constantly making a conscious effort to consider issues like what books to actually buy and which to rent or what kind of job you're going to commit to in the real world. You always hear that college goes by too fast and that you should savor every moment. I can't stress that enough because I'm already in my second semester in college when it feels like just yesterday that I had to say goodbye to my dog.
You know how to find joy in the little things.
Days are long and stressful and sometimes one small moment can change the vibes of your whole day. But appreciating the small things help make more of those small moments, making those not-too-bad days more frequent and the ones that just never seem to end more bearable.
You make moments meaningful.
My philosophy professor captured this particular idea perfectly in class the other day. He said, "Since when has content ever equaled settling?" Wouldn't it be amazing if everyone had found the colors of the leaves changing in their own backyards to be particularly spectacular? Instead of filling the need to travel the world to get that feeling because small town Carlisle, P isn't enough for them? I'm paraphrasing, of course. But that really got me thinking. I always thought I was someone who wasn't always thrilled about change and was overly sentimental. But after listening to this insightful and thoughtful man, I realized that that idea summarized my life. It's not that I didn't like change, it was that I truly appreciate everything around me. I find contentment as being happy with where you are, not rationally needing more. And I believe that this notion of contentment circles back to the message of making all of your moments meaningful. Life goes by fast and if you're always hungry for the future and something more than now then you'll end up looking back, wishing you had appreciated that time that you had.
You appreciate lessons that life has taught you.
Going through different stages of life, you always learn different things. You learn that people change and that there is a point where you have to decide to let them go. Some stay, and you always have a piece of home but others, they were meant to have different lives, ones that don't involve you. And that's okay. It's also okay to grow up, to appreciate yourself and put yourself first. But those were lessons you had to have lived and now that you've learned them, you live by them. By doing so, that's how you really know that you're growing up.
