Age 24
What I know now
This year, a very close friend of mine shared with me something special that he does every time one of his friends turns another year older. He asks them to reflect back over the past 365 days to think of the one big thing they learned that year that made a big impact on their life.
Well shoot. This is right up my alley.
As I turn 24 this year, I reflect back and cant help but wonder how I may have answered that question over the years. What does my life look like when I think about what I learned or “knew to be true” for myself at the time.
Below is my reflection, a list of truths, of what I believe I knew to be true in my life while I aged through childhood, continue through adulthood and specifically now as I turn 24 years old.
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1 Year Old
My parents love me unconditionally.
2 Years Old
I am very picky.
3 Years Old
I am a goofball.
4 Years Old
Love doesn’t know distance.
5 Years Old
Be a sponge, take it all in.
6 Years Old
Be active and keep running.
7 Years Old
People may be fond of you, even if you don’t expect it.
8 Years Old
Always be kind.
9 Years Old
It’s not a goodbye, it’s only a see you later.
10 Years Old
You must learn how to start over.
11 Years Old
I am a dreamer.
12 Years Old
I don’t like feeling alone.
13 Years Old
Do what you love and you find your friends.
14 Years Old
Kindness should never be taken as weakness.
15 Years Old
I play basketball not only because I love to but because it levels me.
16 Years Old
It’s frustrating when all you’ve got is your word and that’s just not good enough.
17 Years Old
Take chances.
18 Years Old
Love is a magnificent obsession.
19 Years Old
People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
20 Years Old
I know who I am today, because I knew you.
21 Years Old
There is no weakness in forgiveness.
22 Years Old
You are who you surround yourself with — both socially and energetically.
23 Years Old
I want the world to be better because I was here.
24 Years Old
People don’t resist change, they resist being changed.
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A Reflection Over This Past Year — 24 Years Old
This year I’ve thought a lot about change. No one wants to be told they should stop doing something because someone else thinks they should. Ugh.
But what if this change was for the right reasons? What if it’s going to help stir up something deep within the consciousness of the human being? Well as mindful as I think I am, I still resist being changed — so much sometimes. I’ve learned change can only, truly come from within.
So what do we do to move forward as a collective? We need to ask the right questions. That’s it. We need to help each other grow and to help eachother find the answers from within. We need to invite change as something positive, as something progressive, and as something vulnerable. Change must be for the right reasons.
I’ve learned change will be slow, yes, but change is so mighty over time once we let it in.
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Special thanks to Allen Saakyan for inspiring me to write this article and for helping me continue to find the positive change within myself to become a better person each and every day.
