My friend Ayeza posted this video of a TED talk about living our twenties on my FB wall the other day. I think it's an interesting topic. And since I write about my experiences as a twenty-something, I thought it would be a good idea to share it to other twenty-somethings out there. You know, just to give you the inspiration to kickstart the new month. Here it is:
I can't say that I agree to every single thing she said since the way of life is different in different parts of the world, but here are some points she raised that I really think are true and applicable to all of us who are in our twenties:
I feel like I'm on the right track upon hearing numbers 1 and 3, but I confess that advice number 2 is something that I need to work on because I'm very picky with people I connect with. It's very true that so many jobs don't get posted online and most of the time you get your dream job through networking. I have missed a lot of good opportunities because my pickiness (lots of lessons learned, though).
On a side note, I read a magazine article saying that you shouldn't be putting an age to success. I used to be a person with concrete plans. For example, I used to say, when I reach the age of 21, I have to be this and then when I'm 22, I have to be that. I'm so anal with my goals that it ends up frustrating me. "Life happened" and I realized that not everything I want will happen, or at least, not right away. We can't rush success. There's a reason why we often hear people mentioning in their success stories that "success doesn't happen overnight."
For me, maybe the best way to go is still to find balance. Always remember that you can't have everything you want, but plan what you can and work on things you need and want to change before it's too late. If things don't work out exactly the way you want it or envisioned it to be, the most important thing to do is to keep moving and continue growing until you get there. As my blog's tagline say, "We only live our twenties once, so make something out of it -- make it as awesome and enjoyable as possible." ;)
What do you think of this TED talk? Let me know in the comment box below!
I can't say that I agree to every single thing she said since the way of life is different in different parts of the world, but here are some points she raised that I really think are true and applicable to all of us who are in our twenties:
- Your 20s is not a developmental downtime, but a developmental sweet spot you shouldn't blow. It's the critical time of adult development.
- No one goes to adulthood without going through their 20s.
- Climbing your 20s is one of the simplest yet most transformative things you can do for work, for love, for your happiness, maybe even for the world.
- The brain rewires itself for adulthood during your 20s, so whatever it is that you want to change in yourself, now is the time.
- Your 20s is the time to educate yourself about your body and your options.
- Your 20s is not an extension of adolescence. It's the defining decade of your life.
Dr. Meg Jay also shared three important pieces of advice on how we can claim our adulthood:
- "Forget about having an identity crisis; get an identity capital by doing something that adds values to who you are, and invest to who you might wanna be next. Now is the time for that cross-country job, that internship, that start-up you want to try. But remember to explore and make it count instead of making it a reason to procrastinate."
- "The urban trade is overrated. New things come from our weak ties. Half of new jobs are never posted, so reaching out to your neighbour's boss is how you'll get that 'unposted' job."
- "The time to start picking your family is now. The best time to work on your marriage is before you have one, so be as intentional in love as you are with work. Consciously choose who and what you want rather just making it work or killing time with whoever happens to be choosing you."
I feel like I'm on the right track upon hearing numbers 1 and 3, but I confess that advice number 2 is something that I need to work on because I'm very picky with people I connect with. It's very true that so many jobs don't get posted online and most of the time you get your dream job through networking. I have missed a lot of good opportunities because my pickiness (lots of lessons learned, though).
On a side note, I read a magazine article saying that you shouldn't be putting an age to success. I used to be a person with concrete plans. For example, I used to say, when I reach the age of 21, I have to be this and then when I'm 22, I have to be that. I'm so anal with my goals that it ends up frustrating me. "Life happened" and I realized that not everything I want will happen, or at least, not right away. We can't rush success. There's a reason why we often hear people mentioning in their success stories that "success doesn't happen overnight."
For me, maybe the best way to go is still to find balance. Always remember that you can't have everything you want, but plan what you can and work on things you need and want to change before it's too late. If things don't work out exactly the way you want it or envisioned it to be, the most important thing to do is to keep moving and continue growing until you get there. As my blog's tagline say, "We only live our twenties once, so make something out of it -- make it as awesome and enjoyable as possible." ;)
What do you think of this TED talk? Let me know in the comment box below!
Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails. PROVERBS 19:21
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