I Would tell these to my 20-year-old self if I had ever met her

It’ll be a beautiful mess and you’ll love it

Photo made by Canva

Dear 20-year-old Twinkle,

Hey, girlie! How’s life? Almost 31-year-old you here. Surprised, huh? Me too, girl. How fast did we make it to our 30s? The closer I get to our 31st birthday, the more you keep popping into my head. Since you hold a significant place in our lives, your 30-year-old self wants to think of the qualities that best describe you- your unbelievable singlemindedness, your humble and grounded nature, your ability to embrace challenges, and your courage to think outside the box.

But, of all these, she wants to let you know of the beautiful mess that is about to tangle you over the coming years.

Did my words tickle your curiosity? Of course, it did. Who am I kidding? Let me tell you that it will be a lot different than you’ve ever imagined. Sometimes, it will put your spirits down, sometimes it will uplift your soul high up in the sky. You will find yourself immersed in a series of unstoppable events called life.

There you go, girl! Excited to explore a whole new world ahead of you? Oh, wait! Before you head out to enter the chaos, here are some reminders from a 30-year-old you.

Frustrations are real. Don’t let them bother you

Let me guess what are you seeing around now- friends hanging out in the restaurants and at the parks; social media bursting with lucrative feeds; branded clothes and accessories and so on. Now, let me guess how are you feeling- you are frustrated, you feel left out, you want to have all the fun, but the bare minimum pocket money is holding you back.

When you have all these feelings rushing you down, take a deep breath. It’s ok to have these thoughts, especially when there are so many temptations out there. It’s ok to feel low. I get it. I get that it’s not easy when you are young to put in extra effort, knowing that your friends are relaxing, it’s hard when all the boys and girls are out sipping coffee and you are homebound thinking where to go.

Trust your old self. You are not missing out on anything. What you are doing, who you are, the way you are- everything will be so worth it one day. Things will fall into their places the way you want, even though they seem scattered now.

Career is not everything. Don’t stress out

You are studying hard to reach your goal, and you think you will achieve it easily. Girl, this is just the beginning. You have a long way to go. The roads will not be smooth. You will face endless competition and disappointments. That’s the perks of being born in the 21st century. Don’t blame yourself. There will be so much out of your control. Things will not always pan out the way you’ve dreamt.

It sounds disheartening. But, let me tell you that it’s too early to stress out about something like that. A career is important, but you can not have a shiny job in one day. It will take time and you’ve got time.

Don’t let the stress fade your sparkle. Value yourself, read books, and enjoy your time. Things will catch up. You will figure out ways to do something you love.

When Life gives you a chance, take it

This is the important one. Your grades are good. You don’t have a single time to waste filling up the application forms to get into colleges, and showing up for the tests. You are baffled by the choices you are getting. So many options and you don’t know which one to pick.

When the conflicts cloud your thoughts, don’t rush into making decisions. Pick the best one out of all the options. The decision you will make now will define your future. Don’t forget that you will get only one chance to take the best. So, choose wisely.

It’s one life to enjoy, one time to do everything, girl. Don’t leave anything untried. Do your best to achieve what you want.

To pick the best, you might need to wait a while. Don’t get frustrated. Have faith. You will struggle, but you will get there.

Don’t bother about finding Love. It will find you

I know you don’t believe in having hundreds of fleeting affairs. Yet, if you ever get emotional pondering whether you’ll have someone for life or not, -listen to your future self, now is not the time, girl.

Why I am saying this is because you don’t have to look for love. Love will find you, even when you least expect it. In fact, you will be blessed with those that you’ve never dreamt of. Believe in spontaneity and be open to accepting it when it knocks at the door of your heart.

Finally, the life you are longing to have, you will have it one day- it’s a promise from your future self.

Love, from (almost) a 31-year-old you.