Ten years ago I started a blog. I sat on a moonlit balcony covered in a pink bathrobe, listening to the smooth sound of jazz, writing what was the beginning of Life Unplugged. I was 21 then, living in a world of dreams, a world where reality was nothing but a mere shadow on the wall.
I was 21 then, 21 and a hopeless idealist.
It might not feel like it, but a decade is a hell of a long time, and a lot can happen in those ten years. If you're lucky, dreams will come true, either unexpectedly or as a result of sheer hard work. If you're really lucky, those dreams will come for free, without emotional turmoil.
"Be careful what you wish for
'Cause you just might get it all
And then some you don't want"
I am 31 now, 31 and a wiser idealist, but an idealist all the same.
I use the term "wiser" loosely, because in no way do I feel like I am now an expert at life. Far from it in fact. I just think that ten years was a good enough time to get a grasp of life and who I am as a human being.
So, having just made that bold statement, here are ten things I learnt this decade:
1. Who you are is enough. It takes time to accept yourself as you are, but the sooner you do, the sooner you'll be free to enjoy life.
2. What you have is enough. You don't have to have everything to be happy. You can find so much joy in the little things.
3. A relationship should make you a better person. If it doesn't, then you probably shouldn't be in it.
4. Time is an unnecessary social construct. You don't have to figure it all out yet, trust me. Keep to your local time and no one else's.
5. Happiness trumps money. If you are torn between a high-paying, soul-crushing job and one that isn't, choose the latter.
6. Makeup is overrated. It just is.
7. Smiling is underrated. Try doing it more often.
8. Guilt is a useless feeling. Store it in a box.
9. Social media is unhealthy. If in doubt, remember (1) and (2) above.
10. Ikigai is a Japanese concept that means "a reason for being." It is the reason for which you wake up in the morning.
2. What you have is enough. You don't have to have everything to be happy. You can find so much joy in the little things.
3. A relationship should make you a better person. If it doesn't, then you probably shouldn't be in it.
4. Time is an unnecessary social construct. You don't have to figure it all out yet, trust me. Keep to your local time and no one else's.
5. Happiness trumps money. If you are torn between a high-paying, soul-crushing job and one that isn't, choose the latter.
6. Makeup is overrated. It just is.
7. Smiling is underrated. Try doing it more often.
8. Guilt is a useless feeling. Store it in a box.
9. Social media is unhealthy. If in doubt, remember (1) and (2) above.
10. Ikigai is a Japanese concept that means "a reason for being." It is the reason for which you wake up in the morning.
I am 31 now, 31 and a happier idealist.