I’ve been thinking a lot lately about why so many of us feel pressured to be rich by a certain age. We’re always comparing ourselves to other people and it’s easy for one to feel like they are falling behind. But I have since come to terms with the reality that it may not be our fault if we aren’t rich yet, for the following reasons.
For the first ten years of my life, I was just a kid. I spent my days playing with friends, having fun as a child and never worrying about money or success. These initial years were all about play and learning basic skills. There were no expectations of achieving anything great. All I did was grow up; that was adequate.
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Then came the second decade of my life. These years were passed in school where what I learned hasn’t been really useful in real-life situations looking back at them now. Indeed, some subjects were fascinating and also helped me to gain some valuable skills yet most of this knowledge has had little direct relevance on my life or career path. Studying for exams and trying to meet academic standards mattered more than understanding how life worked out there in the adult world.
The early twenties were a period of my life when I began to discover what I wanted to do. Like many others, I had taken on student loans which made the transition into the real world even more stressful. At this point in time, I was only starting to get an idea of my future career and was still learning so much about it. From here on out, everything went wrong before it became right.
Now that I’m in my mid-twenties, life feels like the beginning of a film. Some basic responsibilities that most adults can handle without sweating like tax payment and proper budgeting strategies have become part of my life. My savings are there but they are not enough by far for me to be considered rich. However, you know what? That’s fine. I’ve come to recognize that for 25 years previous; all things have been preparing for this instant-both good and evil happenings.
I often take myself down for not having advanced more financially with age. Society pressure often makes us feel that we should have known our destinies well by now as we grow older in age. On hindsight however, so much of my life has been about growing, learning and preparing for something better (future). Those reins were used all through school and early adulthood but now they are finally off. It is time to press ahead as I am ready to go.
Life with no guidance on becoming rich or successful is like that. It’s a journey and every person’s route to it is different. Some persons may find success early while others may take a little longer to realize their dreams. Our self-worth should not be influenced by societal expectations.
I have determined to stick to my path and be more gentle towards myself. It does not matter that I am not wealthy yet, as there is still time for me since I am also learning more each day. Every day of my life brings me closer to understanding what really matters the most. Instead of looking at how other people are doing, I can see where I was yesterday and set my targets for tomorrow.
So if you are like me and sometimes feel like you are not in your right place financially, just remember that our lives have only begun now. We have been preparing ourselves for this moment in our lives over the years, now it’s our chance to shine bright. Let us go easy on ourselves please! This is when we need to seize the opportunity with both hands; it has slipped through our fingers long enough! The rest of life lies ahead of us; we can achieve greatness when we don’t lose focus on what lies before us.
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Eventually being rich is so much more than having money. Richness in itself means living a meaningful life doing what we love and being proud of who we are. Thus, let’s appreciate where we are now and look forward to the future ahead of us all together even though its unknown outcomes lie ahead for us all as well..