6 Timeless Pieces of Wisdom For When You're Feeling Totally Lost
Our twenties are a time of self-discovery. And, naturally, when discovering new things about yourself and the world around you, you can feel lost. There will be times when you won't know what to do. Just know that you aren't alone. Here are 6 timeless pieces of wisdom to help you get through anything life throws your way:
1. Life is hard and confusing and scary, but that's part of its beauty.
Everything in life is messy- relationships, future plans, your past. And that can get overwhelming. It would be so much easier if life had a rulebook so we could finally figure out our lives. But the fact of the matter is that nothing is black and white, and that's a good thing. Without struggle, there would be no triumph. The good wouldn't feel as good, you know? We also wouldn't grow as people or create new, wonderful things if we didn't encounter setbacks.
2. Enjoying your life should be a priority.
I used to think that to live a meaningful life I really had to commit myself to community service. While I have never regretted helping others, I found that it doesn't fuel me the way writing does. Never feel obligated to follow a certain path or be a certain type of person. True happiness comes from being genuine and feeding your passions. When we are truly happy, we make the people around us happy, and that makes all the difference.
3. Allow yourself to get off track.
It is great to have an idea of where you want to go in life but don't be so determined to get there that you become afraid of changing paths. Don't make yourself blind to the world around you. If you really want to take a gap year to do service work in El Salvador, then do it! Like I said, life is messy but when you follow your passions, everything will fall into place.
4. Don't regret things.
Perhaps you chose the wrong college or spent wayyy too long in a toxic relationship. Don't beat yourself up for not knowing what you know now. Learn from the experience and move on. And remember, every step of your life has made you, you. And you are pretty damn incredible.
5. Never, ever stop learning new things.
If you aren't learning new things, you aren't growing. Learn how to play guitar or how to speak a new language. Learn about people different than you. Learn new things about something you know everything about. And if you ever get to the point when your pride says learning new things means you aren't intelligent, ignore it. That's not true. Not even Stephen Hawking knows everything. The key to being a smart person is to see learning as an opportunity.
6. There is no room for comparison in life.
Nothing good comes from looking at your life and comparing it to someone else's. You will either feel better than or inferior toward that person. Be confident enough to live your life the best you possibly can and know that is enough. You don't have to be anyone but exactly who you are.
Video: The Quarter Life Crisis | TheOrlacle
Credit: Orla McConnon