My best friend is getting married and my officemate just bought a car. I do not have a boyfriend not even a car. But we all just turned the dreaded age of 25. Can you name someone who is twenty-something and isn’t having a quarter-life crisis?
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Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Can’t name any? That’s totally understandable because everyone experience different types of life crisis one of which is the QLC (quarter-life crisis). But does it always have to be that way?
An Optimist and Pessimist
To be honest I had a bit of a life crisis. Yes, life crisis including QLC. From the day my parents left me with my grandparents and separated a few years later, I saw that I will be facing various problems. People might think I’m adopted or it might be difficult for me to fall in love and et cetera. Right then and there, I decided to be always prepared.
I know that’s impossible. But with that, I learned to be both an optimist and a pessimist. Before I decide on anything, I ask myself what I want. Then I try to see what will happen if I follow that decision. Not only that, I also try to see what can happen if I will not follow that decision. When I’ve seen both, I create a backup plan. If good things happen, then yay me! If the opposite happens, then I will feel bad. But give me a few minutes and I’ll be able to accept it.
Quarter-life crisis to quarter-life Blessing
25th Birthday Cake
I just turned 25 today and I am happy. Actually a week ago, I have been creating a list of things I want to do on my birthday. I checked what my friends did and read articles online. I read about booze, food, travelling, buying a car, crazy adventures and so on. Then I started panicking. I can’t afford that or I haven’t experienced that.
Breathe in, breathe out. What is it that I want?
I want to be with my family, my friends and new people who have a huge part in my life. So what if my best friend is getting married? I’m part of her entourage. So what if my officemate bought a car? We have a family car. So what if they have or experienced things that I want? I will get there.
Turning 18, 21, 25 or whatever dreaded age that is does not have to be scary. Yes, challenges will always be there. But you do not have to feel trapped by your choices. As I’ve mentioned earlier, I learned to be both an optimist and a pessimist. So look at both sides of life and take both into consideration. Let’s turn quarter-life crisis into a quarter-life blessing.
Count your Blessings
Taking different paths…
On your 25th birthday or a day of your choice, list down the things you were able to do, accomplish or whatever you can think of and also list the things you haven’t. Compare the list. If you want to do the things you haven’t in the future then go ahead and plan.
It is also a good idea to keep a planner/ diary. Plan and record your adventures. At the end to the year, I always check my previous planner and the year before that. You can do that too. Or, you can create a blog. Write and share your adventures. Don’t forget to take photos and post them or place them in an album.
Whenever I feel that there’s something missing in myself, I always look at the photos I took. I try to remember what I felt that day. Sometimes, I read my previous blog posts. My first blog is called It’s Watchamacallit, a pinch of random thoughts seasoned with words. It displays the things I adore, new places I explore, food I have tasted and other random thoughts. When I feel down, I randomly choose a post to read.
If you are not into writing, you can go out with friends, colleagues and family. Going out and having a dose of vitamin D will give you a positive energy. Another is finding a hobby. Besides writing, I also draw. But right now, I’m trying to learn to paint.
Doing those small things makes me realize, I should stop complaining and comparing myself to others. We all live different lives and make different choices. We should learn to accept and see that we are indeed blessed.
