22 things i learned being 21
(this is a couple months late, but i wanted to post it anyway bc ur only as young as you are right now. idk who will read this, but i want to be able to access it later while giving it a platform for other young people trying to make it in this world. xoxo)
oftentimes, you already know who you are; it might just take you some time to figure it out
love who you love no matter what anyone says. never settle for someone just because theyâre âthereâ
say what you feel when you feel it because if you wait too long, it might be too late
your parents are gonna be pissed at you for not thinking like them, but thereâs a reason you have your own values and they have theirs
write, blog, listen to music, go outside, go for a drive; just do something that takes you away from anything shitty that might be going on in your life
you will figure out how to live as an adult - donât worry so much about the timeline to success and when youâre supposed to do certain things for yourself. youâll learn with time
you donât know everything, and thatâs fine. so ask questions and learn as much as you can. asking for help or admitting you donât know something is not weak - it is a way to strengthen yourself
broaden your horizons; learn a language or expose yourself to a new culture. just because youâre broke and canât afford to travel, that doesnât mean you canât explore the world via learning
everything is not as it seems - youâve probably learned things that have been manipulated to be seen a certain way from a certain perspective. therefore, you must be critical of everything you are told
like what you like and donât be ashamed of it no matter what anybody says
hanging out with your parents and family can be fun. donât push them away (unless theyâre toxic to be around) because one day theyâll be gone
everything you do doesnât have to be perfect. honestly, every single thing you do will not be perfect, and you have to learn to deal with that. fretting over every little mistake or imperfection is not constructive. learn how to move forward
there are going to be people in this life who are going to try to sway you, and some of them will be pretty convincing. stay true to what you know. itâs fine to listen to other peopleâs interpretations, but remember what you truly believe. itâs also fine to question your stances and opinions, but others should not be pushing you to change fundamental attributes if they donât hurt others
remember that there are many sides to one story, experience, statement, etc. no one is 100% certain on anything, and no one can tell you the âtruthâ about something that is subjective
youâre always at a place of privilege over someone out there. consider and recognize these privileges and how they place you at a position of advantage. donât get defensive when someone points them out. work to continue identifying the privileges you have and use them to help others who donât possess them
do not force yourself to do things you donât want to do. people will try to pressure you to do things (in and out of romantic relationships), and you have to develop enough self love and respect to stick by your wants, needs, values, etc. pleasing others is never as satisfying as pleasing yourself
anyone who doesnât listen to you doesnât care about you as much as you might think, no matter how nice they might seem.
people who havenât walked the path you have wonât understand you fundamentally, and they might not care about your perspective. donât expect them to just because youâre a fellow human being
people can be cruel, but there is such an abundance of light and love in the world that exists. you just have to search for it and accept it
find your people. the people who share similar past experiences and statuses with you will understand you and support you better than those who donât
it can be hard to really truly love yourself (i most certainly still struggle with this). make a list of what you like about yourself and add stuff to it constantly. if you canât naturally see the good in you, force yourself to see it. soon enough, your self-love will be natural
things are going to piss you off. let the emotions you have run through you and allow yourself to emote. people will probably say that youâre being too emotional or sensitive, but donât let that stop you from feeling. because strong feelings produce strong actions. donât sit idly with that anger - get up and do something about it. act and get involved to change the world for the better