Turning twenty may not actually seem like a big deal to most people, but it really is. Turning twenty means “teen” is taken off your numerical age, and with that comes many responsibilities. All of the sudden, everyone expects you to have your life together, your major decided, and the next few years of your life planned out. When I turned twenty, I panicked. All of the sudden, all I saw was twenty-five, twenty-six, and then (although many, many years away) the dreaded thirty. I thought about changing my major twice, and then I decided that after I graduated, I wanted to go teach English in a third-world country instead of entering the workforce right away. As I am quickly approaching my twenty-first birthday, a year into my twenties, let me tell you something – I definitely DO NOT want to teach English to anybody. One million little thoughts are going to float into your head, and it’s important not to act on them right away. At times, I went too far with my ideas (like trying to explain one to my mom!), but I was subconsciously smart in that I never let them get the best of me. Being in your twenties is scary because it seriously means you’re growing up- no ifs, ands, or buts- but it actually is also really exciting and really fun. With help from thoughtcatalog.com, I have complied a list of five things that will most definitely happen to you while you’re in your twenties. And while they don’t all seem appealing at first, they are not necessarily bad things.
1. Your social circle will narrow. “In college, you’ll have lots of acquaintances and party friends but that will dissipate over time. Eventually, you’ll find yourself unable to spark up new friendships simply because you don’t have the time or desire. Now you’ll only make a new friend and let them into your life if you’re absolutely obsessed with them.” This may have already happened to you. Actually, let me correct myself – this HAS happened to you. Maybe you haven’t noticed it, but most likely you have, and you don’t actually mind it. Listen to me; this does not make you a bad person. If you barely have time for yourself, how are you supposed to have time for other people? It’s okay to be hesitant to be friends with someone, especially when you’re not including half of the high school in your social circle. Start to pay attention to who you keep close to yourself and who you’re pushing away. At the same time, pay attention to why you’re actually doing that. Don’t shut people out of your life for no reason.
2. Someone will betray your trust. “A friend or a lover – and it will change the way you view people forever.” People suck. That is literally the bottom line and I don’t know how to not be blunt about it. Don’t allow people in your life who are going to purposely hurt you, because it will add ten years on your heart. Having your trust broken will allow you to see what kinds of people you should be trusting and more importantly, what kinds you shouldn’t be.
3. You’ll spend an entire day hungover in bed. “Nothing will make you feel more like an idiot.” But hey, who doesn’t deserve an entire day spent in bed here and there? Go out, have fun, and regret it the next morning. You might judge yourself, but no one else is going to – it’s a “been there, done that” kind of situation.
4. You’ll meet people who are vultures. “Literally sent to this world just to annoy you, to work half as hard and somehow become more successful. They’re networking leeches. Don’t take their business card! Save yourself!” Most likely, you’ve already met one of these people in college. There’s always that person in class who never does their work or studies for the tests, yet somehow gets a better grade than you in the class. We all know these people. All I’m going to say is watch your back.
5. You will understand that the biggest battle you fight in your twenties is the one you’re in with yourself. “The most important thing you can learn in this decade is how to love yourself. Without that knowledge, your life will always be a little bit terrible. You will always be dating someone who’s a little bit rotten and you’ll always be working a job that sucks. It affects everything so be sure to make yourself a priority. Work on liking yourself before working on getting someone else to like you.” Your twenties is your time to be selfish, but it’s also a time for you to grow up. Some days, you may wake up in the morning and love yourself, and others you won’t; it’s just a way of life. This decade of your life, increase the number of days you look in the mirror and say, “I love you” to yourself, no matter how corny that sounds. Work on yourself and leave responsibility to your thirties.
For the entire list of “15 Guaranteed Things That Will Happen To You In Your 20s”, visit: http://thoughtcatalog.com/2012/15-guaranteed-things-that-will-happen-to-you-in-your-20s/
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