So I was sitting yesterday, just thinking about life and how everything is moving so fast. And all at once I thought it out-- what would happen, I wondered, if somebody just sat down and told me the real things when I was 22? Not the inspirational poster stuff, not the hard work and you will succeed with this type of encouragement. The true, naked, even awkward things. Well since no one did that for me, I'm gonna do that for you today.
Well in my view the greatest trap at the age of 22 is money. All the people around are telling you to follow your passion, to do what you love and that the money will follow. But honestly? Money does not come. You must make plans and save it and take it seriously. I do not mean that you must grow greedy, or make money your entire character. However at 22 when somebody told me to save even a little bit each and every month, I would have been in a much better situation. The sooner you honor money the sooner money honors you back.
And also there is the friend circle thing. At 22 you think your whole friend group is your family. You tell all, you carry everywhere together you believe this is here to stay. Then gradually life occurs and you get to know who really remains. It is a very painful aspect to know but is also very freeing. As the circle progressively narrows you are able to see who genuinely cares about you and who was just there to have fun. Fear not a small circle. A little real circle is much better than a large fake circle.
The second thing I would actually like someone to tell me regarding parents. You are 22 and are so preoccupied with creating your own life, pursuing goals, having fun, that you forget that your parents are getting older each and every single day. I think that now I feel like I should have spent more time sitting with them, talking with them, making them laugh. Since one day you will have everything and everything successful but they will not be there like they used to be before. Whatever you are doing just now give them one hour. Just one hour.
Comparison is yet another thing that will take everything out of you should you allow it. At 22, social media is unsafe. You find a person of your age buying a car, getting a job overseas, traveling every weekend and suddenly you feel that you are lagging behind in life. But behind in whose race? No one informed you that there was a race. Every one is having their own time and the moment you cease paying attention to the other people and you start concentrating on yourself, things begin to make more sense.
The final and, perhaps, the most valuable - failure is not the end. It is all life or death at 22. You fail an exam and it seems that your entire future is being stolen away. You lose a job and you believe that you will never get back. But I swear to you, hardly anything at 22 is so final as it seems. The things that shattered me even taught me the most. And had I the opportunity to do so I would counsel myself to fail faster, to learn faster and to cease being so afraid of starting over.
Well, that is all I had in mind to-day. These are not rules, these are merely things I learned the hard way that I really wish someone would sit with me and say all these before. Should one single individual read this and feel a little less alone or a little better equipped then I am happy. Look after yourself and never give up.