I am just going to come out and say it; the twenties are the new thirties. There is too much pressure on young adults to have it all figured it out before they hit their thirties and this can make it very difficult to search for happiness when you're too busy finding your purpose in life.
YOLO is the modern day mantra being shoved down everyone's throat at the moment. By the way for people who don't know, YOLO is the acronym for you only live once. Carpe diem I hear you scream. Seize the day! Trust me I have read enough of those cheesy motivational quotes and a countless amount of self-help books (80% of them with "fuck" in the title) but sometimes trying to seize the day is not as easy as it sounds.
Every morning I try and wake up and imagine to myself that this is going to be my last day on the planet. What should I do? Well in principle, that thought is great because we are forced to make the most of our time and really enjoy the small things in life. However, it isn't that simple. I, along with the majority of people reading this, would spend my last day on earth spending all my hard earned cash on the things that make me happy. Whether that is a tub of Ben and Jerry's Fish Food or a 20 pack of cigarettes (big spender, I know) but that can't happen every day. Logistically you have to understand that you will be alive tomorrow and with that logic comes the thought of the future, which makes seizing the day somewhat impossible. That is of course if you think that monetary items are the things that make you happy.
Now before everyone starts thinking it, I will come out and admit it. I haven't found the secret ingredient to happiness and I don't claim to have found all the answers either. However I do think through trial and tribulations I have found a few helpful tips and strategies that will help anyone in their twenties manage tasks, build lasting relationships and find their true individual path to happiness.
Being in your twenties is such a ball ache. Not only is there the stress of finding yourself and your life's meaning but we have to deal with the expectations that older adults, television and film have built us of this euphoric journey that individuals in their twenties should go through. We don't live in the movies, the fairy tale ending is not around the corner and life is definitely not all wrapped up in a bow. Sometimes you just have to go with the flow and actually I think that is what being in your twenties should be all about. Trust me when I say this, it's perfectly okay and normal not to have your shit together at 30 and before we go any further into this book, nothing will ruin your 20s more than thinking you should have your life together so get that out of your mind now.
Maya Angelou once said '"we delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty." This is very much the message I am trying to convey. Don't get lost in the final picture and start to spend more time enjoying the process that comes with figuring it out. Being in your twenties is all about exploring and discovering and less about trying to become the next Steve Jobs.
Now the pursuit of happiness can be an ever-lasting search and the majority of individuals die having not found it. Again I will remind you that reading this is not going to give you the magical ingredients to find the source of your happiness. Sorry! I know I've said it a lot but I like to be as transparent as possible. I do hope, that you can take some sort of inspiration from my blog posts to help you understand your personal pursuit to happiness.
I hope you're ready for the classic line you've probably heard a million times but it's one of Oscar Wilde's finest. "Everything is going to be fine in the end.
If it's not fine it's not the end."