I recently turned 25 and it got me thinking if I’m honest it got me thinking a lot... Have I achieved everything I should’ve, am I on the right path, going in the right direction? These were just a few of the things that went through my mind. For one it made me realise something that really resonated with me and I felt really strong about it and that was, life is too short to be doing something you’re not happy doing and not to be afraid to take risks because without even a little risk, is it really worth it? So like that (with some planning), I took a risk, I handed my notice in, took the (scary) plunge to go self-employed and also dedicate more time to this, Dust and Pine.
But all this got me thinking about age, how we can wish our lives away, to look older and how much pressure we can sometimes put on ourselves and if we haven’t achieved something, a milestone by a certain age we have failed.
I for one remember being 16/17, wishing my life away craving to be 18 and then again, 21. Now, granted I am a very youthful looking 25 years old, I’m frequently told I’m ageing very well… and more often than not, that bothers me, well I think now I’m (hopefully) going through the transition from when you crave to look older, to when you don’t mind looking younger? In your early 20s, getting ID can feel like a huge insult, then when you reach your mid 20s, you have mixed feelings about it but (I can’t speak for all) I feel like women especially start to question what they’ve achieved in life so far and quite often are critical and down on themselves. When you're in your teens you all start to dream about the life you’re going to live… you’re going to go off to uni, get your dream job at 23, have met the love of your life by 25, have money blah blah…. *reality check* for a lot of us, not all, it isn’t all plain sailing - we might still well be developing our identity at 25 and not know really what we want to do in life and maybe won’t until we’re 40 and that’s ok! Your 20s is tough - getting that first job, developing your career, love life, getting the work-life balance right is tough and we shouldn’t put pressure on ourselves to have it all figured out by a certain age - because what does it even mean if we are not truly happy? Or content with our choices?
So my plan is to try not to live my life by age but by what makes me happy, how my soul feels! I’m lucky to be surrounded by lots of inspirational women who do just that, my Mum, my Sister, my Aunty… I’d love to hear who inspires you and why! #DPwomen