These words sit deep with me.

The person I am today is because of the choices I made in my 20s with so much thrown at me and so very little I knew.

It wasn’t easy living through those choices but I thank the 20-something year old me for taking risks and defying the conventional.

I say this because from time to time I have friends in their 20s open up to me about their outlook on life. I see so much motivation and ambition. I sense determination. I hear dreams. But what I don’t see is imagination. I don’t see spontaneity. I don’t see risks. Maybe because we now live in times where we believe we have control over almost anything around us. There are so many venues to explore. So many options to choose from. But with so many choices comes clutter. And clutter clouds our judgment sometimes. Causes confusion. Hinders imagination. Sometimes you have to breath and just…let…go. Not every step has to be calculated. Not every door has to be knocked down. Not every path has to be walked on. Leave space for the unexpected. Don’t let life get to you. Because the best doesn’t come until much later.

Be spontaneous. Be practical. Be hopeful. Be joyful. But most of all, be at peace with yourself. Your older self will thank you one day!