22 Years Old This Year, Should I Start Thinking About My Future Now?

I’ve turned 22 years old a few days ago. The revelry was still a blast despite the pandemic but I must say that it became simpler compared to what I’d been expecting. Anyway, no biggies. It’s definitely ok— safety first for all of us. All the greetings you sent me online are enough for me to let the vibes in. I appreciate them all. Thank you!

But first, I want to spare this moment to thank God for another year which I’ll consider as another chance to make myself a better man. I wish that on my 22nd year here on earth, all of us will head toward recovery and everyone will flourish once again.

Now, let’s proceed to the talk.  

Everyone says that 'all of us have our own timeline.’ More than just a static quote, this statement has been our favorite excuse whenever we’re bumping into a certain failure from things we hardly pursue. ‘It’s ok. The perfect time for us to shine will eventually come through. Maybe right now, we’re just too young to reach for it'

But every time December hits its 10th day and I get one year older again, there is a certain pressure that boils in my head, pushing me to doubt the validity of this excuse. 

Wherever we point our eyes to, it’s evident that the world today is evolving at a very fast pace. Technology, business, innovation, people, name it, they’re all in the race track and bouncing briskly forward. From what I can see, there’s no more age nor a fate-woven timeline for achievements that can escalate one’s quality of life. Whether it’s a girl, a boy, a young man, or a kid who accidentally gets his video viral on YouTube, everyone can now easily change their lives for good. 

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The sad part of this revolution is that I think, it’s quite too fast for me to catch up. I can’t stop asking myself why I can’t casually go with the global flow. Why other juvenile minds who are in the same age group with me are able to elevate their lives so easily? Is being successful and having a stable life disposition still a matter of age today? Now, I’m starting to cognize it’s not at all.

If age and timeline are now out of the game, then what exactly I’m lacking of? I have dreams and I have faith in them, but as I go along and realize I’ve moved far enough, it still feels I’m grappling to reach for those distant stars. 

Birthday Cake

It’s really tough to be caught in the midst of losing self-confidence. But because I have strong faith in my dreams, I got enough energy to still hold myself together before falling into the dark pit. I realized something that brought back the colors in my eyes. 

The main reason why I’m getting such pressure is because I’m seeing success from someone else’s looking-glass. I can’t move forward because I tend to abandon my own sight in driving my way, and instead aim my focus on comparing my game plan and milestone to others. I thought it would provide me a catalyst to achieve something much faster, but it only gets me stuck in the mud, and plummet me deeper and deeper as I keep it in my mind. 

Realizing this birthday cake, I think I was wrong when I told you earlier that there’s no such thing as timeline or time-of-our-lives. Perhaps, I was just forced to deny its existence at times I was drowning from internal embarrassment and I needed an immediate way out. Needless to say, each one of us really has our own moment of winning. It’s just maybe a matter of patience and not excuses. 

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There’s no other way to see what’s waiting for us ahead but to move forward. There are bumpy roads, yes, but they’re not meant to tear us down. Obstacles are naturally planted to help us assure that we’re not only moving forward but also we’re on the right track. 

Sometimes, we come to presume that our way is going down only because we see others are rising up. There’s nobody who can tell that we are losing. Nobody, but ourselves. So, look straight, be confident, walk, and we’ll arrive wherever we want to be. 

Happy birthday to me.

Photo Credit: Riccardo Mion