Shivers went down my spine during my 20th birthday. Just the thought of having actually lived for 20 years made me queasy for some reason I can’t explain. Maybe it’s the impending responsibilities or the thought that many weren’t given the chance to live this far. I don’t know. It could be the expectations that shook me to the core. The thought of a quarter-life crisis scared me. I still doubt the normality of my response but I knew then that I had to resist falling deeper into the swirl of uncertainty and fear. Instead of instantly opening my arms wide to the impending responsibilities, I open my mind and heart to things I should indulge in throughout my roaring 20s.
Building Up a Network
Social media reconnects old friends, foes and flames, and chosen-career paths often converge to the meeting of familiar souls. Experts always remind us that having a strong network of acquaintances is vital to our success.
The more diverse, the better. It’s much better to get valuable information from people from all walks of life. Networking may sound too entrepreneurial that it just doesn’t fit a teacher or a clerk. There’s more to networking than meets the eye, and it’s not just about taking advantage of your circle of friends for monetary gains.
Immersing in Positivity
A lot of not-so-fortunate events await us as we get older, so we should all be made of sterner stuff and filled with positivity to get us through. This perspective in life doesn’t come overnight, in fact, it needs to be adapted and developed. It’s an attitude that comes with the habit of always looking at the positive side of things.
Body shaming and the glorification of unrealistic beauty standards beat us down, leading to bullying, low self-esteem and discrimination. Despite all these, loving our curves and edges is the best gift we can give to ourselves. It would be hypocritical to say we shouldn’t abide by and be driven by norms of beauty. Don’t we all want to look and feel beautiful? However, being enslaved by these ideals is something to watch out for as we can go overboard.
Establishing Credentials
Looking for a good job right after college is undeniably difficult but we’ve witnessed a rise in the number of college graduates. Studies projected that the increase continues this year and the next. We can infer that the need to earn such academic credentials has grown exponentially because the competition itself has grown tighter. Other than undergraduate courses, graduate and post-graduate degree-holders are also projected to rise.
Other than the prestige these degrees bestow upon the holder, I believe it’s more of the sense of fulfillment after securing a hard-earned achievement. The drawback, however, is the student loans incurred throughout your years in college. I should know. But we’re positive we can pay them, right? RIGHT?
Acquiring New Skills
The above-mentioned development may seem to be a promising event in the history of humankind but this doesn’t always promise a highway of a career path. As the number rises, the underemployment rate shares the same fate. Other graduates have to settle for job unparalleled to their degrees or majors, but this is not entirely bad at all. We can all learn something different from these jobs. It could be a job you’re passionate about or something to just get you by during the in-between to your dream job. Whatever it may be to you, you’re adding up to your repertoire.
I may be a teacher and an aspiring professor but I also want to learn coffee-making and bartending. I don’t drink but I find tossing bottles and making drinks for people fun. Also, learning about liquors and alcohol levels is more informative than it is interesting.
Nurturing Our Well-being
Lifestyle diseases loom around us as we mindlessly eat and indifferently postpone each workout plan. Yes, we’re exhausted but the more we practice this unhealthy routine, the more toxins build up inside us.
Healthy eating habits should’ve been developed earlier in life, but with all the temptations that surround us, we compromise. Good habits that last should be formed as early as now for graceful aging. No need to punish yourself by abstaining from a myriad of delectable goods. That, my friends, is impossible. Rule of thumb, eat but set some limits.
Going Gaga Over Travel
Our relentless campaign for the ideal work-life balance is just so strong that traveling is always a part of their year. It’s their way – our way rather – of unwinding and feeding the soul. Immersing in totally different cultures is our idea of a worthwhile traveling experience.
At this point in life, most of us are still living paycheck to paycheck but this doesn’t appear to be a hindrance. Millennials save up for that crucial moment of discovering lesser-known places and making the most of everything life has to offer.
Abiding by Our Strong Passion
There’s a growing sense of community and responsibility in this age group and their way of giving back to their community is volunteering, getting involved in charity works and donating to UNICEF to name a few. Thanks to the exposure of these charity groups, the tech-savvy population all over the world are made aware of the needs of other people.
Aside from doing our part in making this world a better place, we have this zeal for popular culture like music and binge-watching their favorite TV series and movies.
Building up not tearing down
Another one to be obsessed about is choosing to build people up. Let your kindness be your means of getting back at those who wronged you. Turn insults and gossips down with your silence and compassion. The world needs all the positivity it can get for faith to be restored in all of humanity. I never thought Selena Gomez’s song would be that profound at some point, nevertheless, let it be your mantra: kill’em with kindness.
Facing the Risks
Our fears vary but they all provoke the same thing. Whatever they are, it’s time to pin them down – most of them if not all. This season of youth is the envy of the old, so let’s not wait until we no longer have the very rush that compels us to think and do the outrageous.
Does it still scare you to leave your parent’s house and live somewhere else? Are you still afraid of the dark? Do you still have this habit of pleasing people? Bungee jumping? Whatever they may be, don’t you think it’s high-time to pin them down?
Seeking Sanctuary in Our Family
Now that 20-somethings are either out there conquering big cities, abroad or somewhere far from home, allotting a part of your schedule for your loved ones can be particularly difficult. Even so, nothing beats the smell of home and the presence of your beloved parents and siblings or relatives.
We’re just kids shookt by adulting, aren’t we? Life is indeed rough and when that happens, we find comfort in the four corners of our home and enjoy the company of family. And yes, we often come home crying when things get overwhelming.
Indulgence often brings about a negative connotation, thanks to its association to matters like vices and impracticality. However, we should allow some indulgence in our lives to turn it into something rather extraordinary. This period in life is the transition from our cherished childhood to legit adulthood, and just like any other years, they’ll just come to pass – but let us do so with a roar!
About Abigail
Abigail Sabijon is a university instructor-turned blogger and editor of scoopfed.com and has also been a team counselor and trainer in an international language institute. Having married to a Gen X-er, she and her husband enjoy making the best of both generations.