YOUNG, WILD & FREE
If you listen to even a handful of influencers answer the question "What would you tell your younger self?", usually the response is they'd tell their younger self to slow down, live in the now and know everything will be alright. Yet, when we're "growing up" (I don't believe we should ever stop growing) we're often rushing to do so.
As a child, how many of you dreamt of the day when you could stay up all night, party like there's no tomorrow and not have to answer to your parents? How'd that work out for you? Or how about when you envisioned having the perfect power-job that came with the perfect car/spouse/kids and even a dog or two? Now if you've had even the slightest version of these dreams you also gave yourself a rigid timeline to get it done.
I remember being a little girl and calculating the year I'd turn 13 as if something magical besides puberty would happen at that age. When I turned 13, I planned to get married by 20 and have my first of four children and dog by 25. Yikes!!! Praise baby Jesus I wised up quickly and told my teenage self to "slow yuh role" 😅. What's the rush about anyways?
Having dreams are important and working towards a goal is a good thing but I often think about what that sometimes brings on in our lives. At what point do we start feeling the urgency to accomplish, do and be more? To go harder and faster than our experiences permit? To get serious and stop playing!
Is it when we're 25 and entering our quarter life crisis or does it begin in childhood when we're asked the age old question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"
It's such a simple question, one designed to get you thinking about future goals and how to get there (all good things) but I can't help but wonder if something as simple as that question works as part of a larger narrative causing us to focus on our future lives while neglecting the present.
I turned 30 this year and by no means do I have a wealth of experience but from my few adult years I can say it's important to slow down! Having goals and working towards them are definitely essential and we should have them but the biggest goal in my opinion is to become self-aware and do that thing we were created to do. When you're going fast you can often miss that.
Many say "pursue your passion" but I like to say "pursue your purpose." I prefer purpose because many times we get confused and become passionate about the wrong things; convincing ourselves that we should be doing XYZ. It doesn't hurt so we continue to do it, we may even gain a bit of success from it and before you know it we're chasing someone else's dreams, doing what society thinks we should and not going after the very thing God intended for our lives.
Slowing down will help you to discern if you're pursuing an incorrect passion or fulfilling your purpose. It will provide a quite space, where the voice inside will speak to you. I know it sounds like fluffy invisible stuff but slow down and listen to your soul. I promise it will speak to you!
Pursuing your purpose takes time. You have to get to a point where you know yourself and can develop then develop that person further. Once you know yourself you will build the confidence and faith in knowing that you will get to the place where you need to be. It takes practice and there will always be fear and failure along the way but the journey no matter how great or small will be worth it.
I'd also like to think "that place" is not finite but let's save that conversation for another day.
We all can try to live more in the now, enjoying what the present has to offer. Be young, wild and free!
“I don’t live in either my past or my future. I’m interested only in the present. If you can concentrate always on the present, you’ll be a happy man. Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we’re living now.”
My outfit is meant to outwardly express this sentiment of living in the now; reveling in your youth and playfulness. I got the 70s inspired crochet dress at the end of last summer for a sweet deal! Mom and I were shopping and she spotted it for me. Thanks mom! My pompom necklace was purchased on my Cartagena vacation last year and I simply adore it. In the spirit of feeling free, I didn't rock a purse and let my curls go wild!