The Age of Wonderful Nonsense

Life in Your 20's

Being in your 20's is like losing your parents at Disneyland, but for the rest of your life. Sure, it's all fun and games because at least Mickey Mouse is there, and cotton candy is flowing. Then you realize,“Wait, what the heck am I supposed to do now? MOM, DAAAAAD!?!”

Life, relatively speaking, is one giant shit storm. And the worst part is, there isn’t a weatherman standing by to tell us the storm is coming. Adulthood is like looking both ways before you cross the street and then getting hit by a hurricane. The only difference is these hurricanes sweep through our lives in the forms of people, decisions, social acceptance, depression, and life lessons. They hit us over and over, forcing us down a path of self-destruction. This is why being an adult, sucks – royally.

Do you remember how giddy we used to be on Christmas morning when we walked down the stairs and the little red bike was there waiting for us? Or when we found the $5 under our pillow after we lost our first tooth? Or how amazing it felt when we scored our first goal, got our first ‘A,' had our first crush? Yeah, me either. Let’s be real -these small, yet profound joys, slowly evaporate with time.

Children can teach us many things about how we should view the world as adults. From my childhood, I learned how to embrace new life experiences and be confident in myself. I was always very motivated to be the best I could at everything. I learned how to be curious, happy for what I do have, and fight for what I want in life. I was at peace with my surroundings and upbringing, so it was easy to be happy (thanks Mom and Dad for not leaving me lost at Disneyland).

Children usually have a very positive outlook on the way the world works. As a child, I was no different. I was the giddiest human on the planet as I laid in bed the night before Christmas. I tied my tooth to every door knob I could find to get that next $5. I would even steal the ball from my own teammate if I had to, just to get that exciting feeling of scoring again. It wasn't until I experienced real pain in my life when my understanding of the way the world works began to shift.

Some people are lucky and know exactly what they want out of life early on and are relentless in attaining it. Good for them – they deserve it. Most of us, however, are forced to continuously alter our path, always striving to reinvent ourselves and find our passion somewhere along the way. Whichever category you fall in, at one point or another, we all find ourselves lost, trying to navigate our way through the storm. Basically, we’re all just roaming around aimlessly, hoping we don’t get swooped up by a hurricane when we cross the street on the way to work today.

Whatever walk (or storm) you’re on, there’s no doubt in my mind that you seek more out of this life. Whether you are a successful businessperson, aspiring actor, Olympic ice sculptor, educator, parent, cage fighter, or lost soul (like I was) – we all have an inner longing to unlock our greatest potential and live the life we’ve always wanted. Regardless of how well you’re doing or not, deep inside all of us resides a passion limitless beyond what we believe to be capable of.

Life is a series of choices. Every new day carries with it a string of unanswered questions and decisions to be made that will positively or negatively affect our future. Over time, we become consumed with “should haves” from the past and “should I’s” for the future. ‘I should have chosen a different career path…maybe then I’d be more successful. I should have never dated her/him… If I didn’t, I wouldn’t feel so lost now. Maybe I should have drank less in college and applied myself. Should I get out of bed today, or roll over and enjoy the little comfort I do have? Should I try to find my passion, or just continue going through the motions and surviving?

We become consumed with ‘shoulding’ all over ourselves. Yes, you read that right. ‘Shoulding’ all over yourself is the act of living entirely in the past, beating yourself up for wrong turns you made along the way. This act only harms our ability to grow into the person we want to be. We all have pasts we are not proud of but it’s what we do with our ‘now’ that will define our future.

You’re Not The Only One…

What if I told you that you’re not the only one fighting a battle today? What if I went even further to tell you that behind every successful person there are many unsuccessful years filled with struggle, failure, and the same ‘should haves’ that we’re fighting today? Would you believe me? Or would you think I was just “that guy” trying to be inspiring and tell you there is light at the end of the tunnel? Well, why don’t we let you be the judge?