ANOTHER YEAR OLDER

Today I turned 24.

I've felt incredibly odd about it all day. I'm now at an age where I am considered to be in my "mid 20's" and I don't know how that really sits with me.

I always looked at this age of being one of 'settlement.' I thought by this stage of my life I would be settled in a job, in a relationship and had saved enough money for a house deposit. But as always, life doesn't always go to plan, and for me I've finally learnt how true this is.

Age is such a funny thing. We spend our whole lives thinking that we need to achieve a goal by a particular time. That if we do, we'd be satisfied. That if we do, we'll be happy.  However, what we don't realise is that while we are so determined to reach this goal of being 'happy' or 'settled', that we miss out on what other things life has to offer.

'Long term happiness' is not real. It will come and go, but there's no such real thing as 'being happy forever.' What is real is learning how to embrace opportunities, learning how to stand up for yourself in a tricky situation, learning how to find the good in the bad and to find the strength to get through a tough situation.

I like the rest of the world have been reading 'The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck' by Mark Manson. It's an incredibly motivational kick-in-the-ass book and one that I encourage you all to read for yourselves. He sums the above perfectly with this quote-  "The desire for more positive experience is itself a negative experience. And, paradoxically, the acceptance of one's negative experience is itself a positive experience.' 

In the last 24 years, I have gone through more than what any other person would have done in a lifetime. I've had 16 brain surgeries, I've graduated from university, and I lived in Melbourne for 6 months. There is so many more other things that have happened that I could list both positive and negative, but they have all helped me into getting to this stage of my life.

While the thought of being one year off the quarter life crisis scares the crap out of me, I'm actually pretty excited for what's to come.  Life always has a way of working things out and I know that my path is waiting for me to ride along it.

So here's to the year of 24. I may have not achieved what I set out to achieve by this age, but you know what? I really don't care. Turning 24 instead comes with a feeling of contentment . It comes with a feeling that is ready to embrace the opportunities and challenges that come with it.

As always....BRING IT ON!

Until next time...

AT xxx