It’s no secret that we live in a youth-obsessed society. Everywhere you turn there is something making you feel bad about getting older! There is a product to battle everything including wrinkles, gray hair, or no hair, etc. But I gotta tell you, I’m really glad not to be in my twenties anymore!

Now, don’t get me wrong, there were a lot of fun times in my twenties; there were moments that were a BLAST. But, I was a hot mess! I was learning a lot of major life lessons the hard way. (No disrespect all the 20-somethings and teenagers out there, but you don’t REALLY know what you’re doing. And that’s ok… none of us did. And we’ll all continue to learn for the rest of our lives.)

My youth was a more chaotic time for me as I fumbled and stumbled around. And now thanks to all of those experiences, I have grown and learned so much–so, no regrets. But, I wouldn’t rewind back to that crazier time!  

Here are my 5 reasons why I wouldn’t go back to my twenties:

1. Insecurities

We live in a society that encourages people to compare themselves to other people and hate themselves–especially women (and especially women of color). It’s taken me decades to really overcome my self-deprication, and to recognize that I am beautiful and worthy. I still have moments where I look at myself and judge myself, my looks, my decisions, etc., but now I’m able to snap out of it so much quicker. I truly am much kinder to myself and more loving!

2. Love Life Drama

Whew! I could write a book on this one! Now, I wouldn’t say that I was dramatic per se, but I attracted a lot of dramatic

 partners. Why, you ask? Because of lower self-esteem, insecurities, and immaturity, I sometimes allowed for a lot of drama: cheating, yelling, abuse, screaming, on-again-off-again, etc. I’ve grown to realize that all of that was beneath me and my worth.

This doesn’t mean that my love life is perfect today, but I definitely don’t have the same type of drama that I had in my twenties. Because I’m more mature, I just don’t allow for the same B.S. and it’s a beautiful thing.

3. Financial Drama and Instability

Have you ever tried to run away from bills? I did! Or so I thought. I learned the hard way in my twenties that just because you ignore a bill in the mail doesn’t mean it’s gone :-). (Really, what is that piece of paper REALLY going to do to me?) I also thought that because I was broke all the time, that it meant on some level I shouldn’t have to pay for some bills. Now I didn’t think of myself as a reckless spender, because I wasn’t a shop-a-holic. But because I outright refused to budget, I always ran into problems. I was a free spirit after all!

It’s only now that I’m really starting to untangle some of those old habits. Oh, and I’m also earning more too!

 

4. Disorganization

Did I mention that I’m a free spirit? And that’s a beautiful thing! I love that quality, but the flip side is that it meant going through life with no planner, no to-do list, and no calendar! (I don’t know how I got anything done!) I tried to keep track of everything I had to do in my head, and as a result, my mind was full of mental clutter, anxiety, and forgetfulness! Now that I do keep track, my brain can rest, and I’m way more productive and efficient.

5. My Philosophies about Life

Going through the challenges of youth, I have learned a variety of amazing lessons and mantras. One of them is: life doesn’t change, you do. This one was revolutionary for me. At times, I used to think that life was unfair. But, then I realized that all of our lives are full of peaks and valleys–it’s part of the human experience. There’s a lot in life that we CAN’T control. BUT, we can control ourselves and how we respond to life. And that takes a lot of time to learn. I still have a lot of experiences in my life that 10 years ago would’ve stopped me–dead in my tracks. But now, I’m different, I’m more mature, I can handle them differently. It’s freeing!  

So, cheers to my youth–all of the fun, wild, and crazy parts of it! Thank you for helping me become the more evolved human being I am today!

I would definitely vacation there, but you couldn’t pay me to move back. I wouldn’t trade in all the wisdom that I’ve gained from getting older.

Cheers to the Future, the next few decades, and all the amazing lessons to come!