Long are the years where your 20s were the age for you to discover who you are and want you want to make of your life. the age of social media there’s pressure to have your life together- financially, materially, physically so that you can grace the ages of your 30s and finally settle down.
You may commonly hear people online, especially on Twitter, say the following:
“I got a five-figure job at 23″
“I bought my first house at age 21”
“My business has reached four figures in the first month.”
This trend of announcing your age online reinforces the notion that you’re exceptional if you reach certain targets by a certain age. It creates pressure to have your life together and makes people feel like they’re not doing good enough if they haven’t accomplished similar goals. Age becomes something to fear rather than embrace. Life becomes a chance to keep up with everyone else to the detriment of your self-esteem.
Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s amazing that people have achieved these milestones and it’s inspiring to see that when you put your mind to something it can be achieved. However, these life goals which often take the average person many years to achieve, have now become norms that people aspire to achieve at such a young age. This has created an unhealthy pressure to have your life together and therefore causing people as young as 19 to feel like they are failing in life.
These expectations are making people feel insecure and depressed. Your young years should be spent truly enjoying your life- in fact at ANY age you should be enjoying your life and going after your dreams. Your 20’s is when you get to discover who you are and what you want. It’s an opportunity to discover what is for you and what no longer serves the person you want to become. Unfortunately, these expectations have become so unattainable that have to lead to some people feeling like they’re not doing enough and are trailing behind their peers. In reality, this is far from the truth.
I have personally succumbed to these pressures in my currents. At 26 I am fighting against any expectations that don’t serve me. Here are some things that I am currently reminding myself of:
1. You don’t need to have life figured out. Life doesn’t stop in your 20’s. At any age, you have the opportunity to live your dream life and go after your goals.
2. You don’t need to hit all your financial goals in your 20’s. Though your 20s is a great time for you to building a foundation for yourself, it’s not the determining factor of your long term financial situation.
3. You don’t need to announce your age when you accomplish something and they’re not any more valuable based on your age. If you’re happy with what you’ve achieved, just let the world know without reinforcing these harmful expectations.
4. The present moment is the only thing that is guaranteed. If 2020 taught us anything it’s that anything can change at any moment. Gaining peace in the present is where your true power lies.
5. You are comparing yourself to people who are on a different life path than you. When you compare yourself, you end up living up to a standard that’s not your own and falling out of alignment with who you truly are.
6. You can decide to drop all expectations that don’t serve you. You are not bound to doing things in a way everyone else does it. You get to redefine my expectations and live on my terms.
So in conclusion! It’s 2021. Let’s dismantle the idea that you have to live according to other people’s norms. It doesn’t serve our highest good and takes us away from our divine path. It’s time for us to stay true to ourselves and do what’s best for us!
A question to you:
What are your thoughts?
Let me know what you think!
Love Ash, x
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