Dear, sweet, naive 20 year old me...
We are now nearing the end of our twenties...one glorious year left! So I thought I'd take the time to take stock and tell you the things I wish we'd known nearly a decade ago...
1. It's OK to make mistakes...
Mistakes give us experience. They show us who we don't want to be, which in turn tells us who we DO want to be. Mistakes let others know we don't have it all together. When they know we don't have it all together, they expect less, and we fear disappointing them less. This gives us freedom to become who we were meant to be a lot sooner in life.
2. We don't have to wait for the perfect guy to start dating...
There's no such thing as the perfect guy...or the perfect relationship...or the perfect anything. Having fun and going on dates doesn't make us "easy" or bad...it all just adds to experience, and prepares us for the future. The future is tough...but keeping things in perspective gets us through. If they were strangers before, they can be strangers once more.
3. Love is not "Mr.Right"...
Love is being happy when you look in the mirror. Love is accepting your imperfections and knowing that the longest relationship you will ever have is with yourself, so you'd best get to loving you! Love is the puppy who licks your face after you've left him alone all day. Love is the parents who fork out hundreds of thousands of rands to give you the best education and a chance in life, only to fork out thousands more when you're 28 to allow you to follow your dreams. So love is not just having someone to spend the 14th of February with. Love is, actually, all around us...
4. The sooner you follow your dreams, the better...
Everything that has happened in life thus far has brought us to where we are now. But there is nothing wrong with following the dreams you've had since you were 12, rather than the dreams other people had for you or your generation. When you know your talents, nurture them, push them and live the best life for you.
5. Enjoy EVERY experience...
Most importantly, enjoy every phase of this fleeting life. One minute you're a teenager with not a care in the world but the report card not being up to scratch, and before you know it you're turning 29 and have nothing to show for your time but a few travels and a degree. Don't stress about what's to come, enjoy what's here, now. Before you know it, it will be a decade later and you'll be wishing you could go back and enjoy every experience with the naievety of the inexperienced 20 year old you once were.
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