The thing is, as I get older, I start to dread each birthday a little more because I’m not where I wanted to be. The young me envisioned a happy, settled life by now. A life figured out, a family in the works, and a future secure. No more identity questions and no more life-changing uncertainties.

Funny how life works, because it never seems to go as planned.

The milestones and life goals I set for myself sit untouched.

• My own dream house? -Unchecked.
• Husband? Unchecked.
• Kids? Unchecked.
• My own business? Unchecked.

A whole list with nothing checked off and nothing to show for. All the worst nightmares of a planner, a type A, a perfectionist. (All which describe me, by the way.)

Yet what’s even more ironic is that the present me is surprisingly content. Perhaps the goals I set for myself weren’t truly the things I needed to make me happy. Instead, I now feel excited by all the possibilities of the things to come. I am excited for the opportunity to create, to carve my own path, and to find out more of who I am and who I want to be. If you ask me if I would have been ready to marry and raise kids a few years ago, my answer would be a big fat NO. I had so much character development to work on and dreams to pursue.

Growing older doesn’t mean you have everything figured out because we likely will NEVER have everything figured out. Life throws curveballs and obstacles like this 2020 pandemic, and we learn to adapt. It’s a part of the growing journey, and we will never stop learning as long as we allow ourselves to keep our minds and hearts open.

So if you’re feeling discouraged with where you’re at right now, take it from me – you are right where you need to be. Learn to love the process, the challenges, and the daily tasks that shape you and bring you closer to where you want to be.

So cheers to another year of learning, growing, and living!

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