Life In My Twenties: I’m Twenty-Three!

This week our post is two in one, both of our writers have no idea who the other is but they somehow happen to be contemplating what it means to be 23.

I found their words really encouraging and I hope you do too!

Afoma

It’s my 23^rd birthday in about a month and I’m very hopeful for the next year of my life. 

My 21^st year was probably the worst year of my life and its largely because life literally hit me from nowhere. I had been waiting to finally be an adult and have all these amazing life experiences – but here I was at 21 feelings very unaccomplished and unsatisfied.

I turned 21 a month after my graduation from university and I found myself extremely unhappy with my career choices and feeling like I should be doing a lot more with my life, which then made me spend the better part of my 21^st year either sad or in tears.

By my 22^nd birthday, I had decided to stop being sad over the things I couldn’t control, be appreciative of what I have achieved so far and remember to take each day as it comes because I’m still young and I have a long full life ahead of me.

This past year has been very satisfying to put it in one word. I took each day as it came, and it has been so rewarding. This year I started several projects and initially my anxiety was skyrocketing because what if it fails, but really what if they fail? Well now, I’ve accepted that if they fail, I’ll just have to try again. Life really goes on.

The best part about my 20s is figuring out life with my friends. We are all experiencing different things, learning & evolving, I cant wait to see the women we finally grow into!

Mira

I spend half of my day wishing I was 5 and the other half wishing I was 35. But recently I am learning to relax and appreciate the chaos that is being 23.

If you’re anything like me, you probably have about 10,000 thoughts a minute, a ton of different ways your life could end up, and you get consumed with your ideas as time passes. I have always viewed this as something I need to fix – To grow up and not feel like a child concerned with childish dreams.

Lately, I am not so sure, I am thinking more about how I think about myself and my design. I’m realising ( trying to really) that just because a path is not mainstream does not mean it’s not valid.

Let’s be real, this process sucks! It’s really high highs and shattering lows. It is anxiety, peace, pain and joy all at the same time. It is droughts of uncertainty, breaths of clarity and plunges of confusion. But it is life, and somewhere between the chaos, we have to live, we have to be.

So breathe, you’re good. You’re still figuring it out, it is messy but it is beautiful. Yes, the mess can be beautiful. Not when it’s cleaned up, but right in the middle! Laugh a little. Don’t be too hard on yourself because you’re doing good. Maybe not by the standards of the world, but you’re good.

Afoma & Mira have reminded me of some words of encouragement I wrote in a previous post- check it out here.

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