I see a lot of people, mostly younger than me, worrying lately about what they’re meant to do with their lives, so I want to share this.
There’s no revelation that comes with adulthood. We’re all making it up as we go. And that’s fine.
In some very rare instances, a person has a calling, which they’re aware of early on, and they live life in a specific direction. And that’s wonderful for those people! They’re so driven, and they do their calling well! But most of us don’t have one single purpose or calling. Why would we? You are too much person, too full and complex, to be meant for a single thing.
There’s a lot of pressure to decide the course of your life by the time you’re 25, but in reality, you don’t. You get older, and you keep having choices. You start new things. You change your mind. Change careers. You keep growing! There is no point at which you feel, ah, I have reached Adulthood for true: now I know all things and can stop. You will always be you, always learning as long as you’re willing to.
So by all means, try things out! It’s not always viable to change tracks immediately, but with time, effort, and maybe even a little help, you can get to what you want. Get work in a field you think you might like, but know that it isn’t forever! Learn how to draw! Move somewhere new if you can and want to! Date around to see what you like best in a person! And keep doing that, because as long as you try, it’s never too late.
My aunt’s friends all got married and had kids in their 40s. My grandmother says her favorite age was her 50s, when she and my grandfather had some more money and could travel like they wanted. My friend is about to become a big published fantasy author in her 60s.
You have time. You will always be you, just with more experiences as you go along. Make the best choices you can for yourself, knowing that later you will get to choose again and again.
