March 14, 2013

Why Life Begins at 20

I love fashion magazines for the endless walls of ideas, inspiration and beauty held in them but I would never have described reading one as life-changing on a spiritual level, until page 175 of ELLE Magazine's April issue. The article ''Why Life Begins at 20", written by Dr. Meg Jay, opened my mind to a world of information that I thought I already knew, but really I didn't. In the minutes after reading it, I found within myself, answers to questions I'd been asking since the beginning of the year. Below are bits of the article which I found hit home the most but honestly, you just need to read the entire article.

In your early twenties? Make a career plan, but grow at your own pace and expand your mind (not in Ibiza). (extract from the sidebar written by Stacey Duguid)

Advanced degrees or jobs abroad might seem like decisions you'd rather make "later", but they are easier in our twenties before marriages and mortgages take hold. As unglamorous as these pursuits may feel, such pieces of what we call "identity capital" will be what makes you memorable and relevant later.

Know the strength of weak ties. Those who come of age during tough times- like now- are more inclined to believe success depends on luck. But as a fortune cookie once said, 'A wise man makes his own luck'.

Twentysomethings who cluster together with only like-minded peers limit who they know, what they know, how they think and where they work. That new job- even that new person to date- almost always comes from outside the inner circle. This is the time to be connecting, not just with the same old people having the same old conversations about how work is lame or how there are no good men out there, but with those less familiar acquaintances who might see things a little differently.

Setting bad dating habits can be dangerous. Besides creating low expectations, suddenly that person we never had any intentions of staying with might begin to look better than starting over, especially as the engagement notifications on Facebook start popping up. Use your twenties to direct not just your sexuality -that's the easy part- but relationships as well. It's never too early to be as ambitious in love as you are at work.

30 is not the new 20. Claim your adulthood. Get to work. Meet someone new. Pick your family. Don't be defined by what you did or didn't do. You are deciding your life right now.

A few pages later on page 181, is an article by the beautiful Jillian Mercado who has built a career in fashion from a wheelchair. Through her article, shines her passion for her job and her determination to succeed. She clearly has the spirit of a winner. I find it so incredible when I come across people like her who truly deserve the best from the world, and then some. She wrote:

Being disabled doesn't have to be an end to your ambitions. If you want something you have to go for it.

Thank you Jillian, for being the epitome of the words 'No Boundaries'.

I live for a good dose of inspiration and am seriously so happy that I bought April's ELLE magazine. I proceeded to subscribe to the magazine for a year because if this is the sort of inspiration it holds within it's glossy pages, I really do want in!

2 thoughts on “Why Life Begins at 20”

  1. Ifeoma says:

    wow (not something to expect from a fashion mag) it’s refreshing and it’s true! I love it.

    http://www.duchessfifi.wordpress.com
    Ify

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