6 Seemingly Simple (But Important) Questions You Should Be Able To Answer In Your Twenties

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1. What’s the rush?

We are always rushing to get somewhere, anywhere. Whether it is running to the subway, to a career, getting married or making babies, we are impatient to get to the destination. But why? Why can’t we enjoy the process instead of the end result? It’s okay to hit all of life’s milestones, but we must ask ourselves why we feel the need to reach them all within five years. Forget a five-year plan (which was the worst essay I ever had to write in college by the way). Life doesn’t start when we “figure it all out,” my friends. We must stop, smell the roses (or sadly the pee that now permeates the summer NYC streets), and just relax. When we are ready for something in life, it will come. Have faith.

2. What are your personal values?

What really matters to you? Is it living comfortably financially or living an artistic lifestyle? Having a wide array of friends or a few close best friends? Values can also be how you dress, how you treat others, and your spiritual preferences. Write down your values and keep them close. They define you and the life you lead.

3. What are your intentions?

What is your purpose? Intentions are awesome because they set goals for the day. Intentions can be as big as a new years resolution or a simple morning thought. With all the clutter around us, setting a simple intention can help us focus on what really matters to us and therefore, how we put our energy into the world. Keep a journal next to your bed and every morning, jot down a phrase of where your head and heart will be at for the day. Positive intentions are contagious!

4. Can you enjoy your own company?

This is huge. People ask me all the time how I go to concerts, restaurants, and festivals by myself. I have an amazing boyfriend and amazing friends, but taking time for myself allows me to understand me. Loving your own company reboots your soul. We tend to compare ourselves to our peers on Facebook or fictional characters in TV shows and films. Let’s stop for a second and instead of wishing we were someone else, celebrate the fact that you are the only person in the world that’s YOU. HOW COOL IS THAT!?

5. What are you doing to stay healthy?

 What are you doing mentally, physically, and emotionally to stay healthy? In our mid-twenties, we must do everything in our power to stay fit so that we carry on good health into our 30s, 40s, 50s, etc. Do you see a therapist? If you have been curious about talking to a counselor, DO IT. It allows you to get back on track and talk out all your crap with an unbiased party.  Physically, get a routine going and if you despise running, maybe just run every once in a while and pair it with yoga, weight lifting, or dance classes. You get the point. Lastly, for everyone’s sake, get some sleep. We all need to be beautiful and sleep is one of the best remedies to reset ourselves physically, emotionally, and mentally.

6. Do you have any loose ends?

No, not loose screws…loose ends. Do you have anything from your past you just haven’t settled with yet? What about that friend you never find time to catch up with or that grandparent you haven’t called back? Tie up those loose ends. Life can change in a heartbeat. Forgiving the ones that have done us wrong takes a load off our shoulders to move on. Life comes at us fast. To live a life free of regrets, shame, and woes is up to you. On that note, I leave you with this quote from Disney’s The Lion King:

 Simba: I know what I have to do. But going back means I’ll have to face my past. I’ve been running from it for so long.

[Rafiki hits Simba on the head with his stick]

Simba: Ow! Jeez, what was that for?

Rafiki: It doesn’t matter. It’s in the past.

Simba: Yeah, but it still hurts.

Rafiki: Oh yes, the past can hurt. But from the way I see it, you can either run from it, or… learn from it. 

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Learn from it.