Changing with the Seasons

Now that I’ve been in my 30’s for four years, I feel like I have enough distance from my 20’s to have some perspective. 

My big takeaway is that people in their 20’s are not old enough to choose the life they want to live long term. 

When you’re in your 20’s, you’re still young. You’re getting to know the world and yourself. 

That’s why it’s so crazy that our society pushes us to choose our path right after we turn 18. Choose a major / get a job. Start a career path that you’ll still be following when you’re old. Find a partner who you’ll still want to be with when you’re old.

Imagine a 22 year old making those decisions. It’s not hard because that’s the norm. 

And usually we feel good after making them. We start to feel settled. 

This feeling may last month or years.

But as time goes on…

Something happens…

Seasons change.

And as natural beings in a natural world, hopefully we change with them.

Hopefully as we get older, we learn what we like. What we don’t like. What we need and what we don’t need. 

Hopefully we can we acknowledge if what a past version of ourselves chose for ourself no longer serves us. 

Sometimes that means walking away from a career or relationship you’ve invested years into.

Sometimes that means starting from 0 at age 29. 

It takes time to get to know ourselves and grow into who we are.

How could we know at 26 what we’ll want at 45? The world will change 20 times between now and then.

We’ll meet people who will shake us to our core.

A future version of you may be unrecognizable.

You’ll have an idea of what you want your life to look like in your 20’s

and that idea isn’t wrong.

You’ll have ideas your whole life. And they’ll change with you.

We were raised to find comfort in stability because our country wants stable workers.

The capitalists want to limit our growth. They want us to stay the same and predictable because then we’re easier to control.

But like plants and animals, we grow. Our whole lives. 

Seasons change and we change along with them.

You can take your whole life to explore and figure out what you want. 

The world is changing fast and if you’re open to changing with it, it can be exciting. 

It’s up to you. You have plenty of time.