Does Life teach me anything at 25 ?
As far as I can remember, I always refuted the thought that wisdom only depends on age. I know that very often, the older people get, the wiser they are supposed to become. But does it really prove anything?
Mathematicians used to say that correlation doesn’t imply causality. Of course, some old people are wise, but my eyes have also seen irresponsible parents and conscious children. I think it takes more than time to build wisdom. It calls for a great dose of conscience, a deep introspection capability, the humility to recognize wrongs, and the honest desire to be each day a better person than we were the day before.
Am I wise? I will let other people judge. I still have quite much to learn from life, and I hope to have the time and the patience that it requires. Waiting, I’m turning 25 and I deeply want to believe that I can mind on more relevant things than what the features of the next iPhone will be. I want to believe I don’t need 25 more years to start being wise.
Some of the following will sound to you like evidence; some will have a touch of surprise… Some will sound true, some might sound false. But if you ask me what life could teach a 25 years old guy, here is my answer.
Being careful on what I wish
I’m pretty sure you all have experienced this. The void that fills us when we realize that something we have desired for so long finally doesn’t fit us or attract more issues than happiness or joy. It’s a very strange feeling, weird and troubling. It makes us face a sad reality: maybe after all we don’t know ourselves as much as we think we do. When this makes me pick the wrong sandwich, of course, it’s not a big deal. But I know I also have a career, and a life partner to choose, among other important things. And making wrong decisions on those things could be devastating…
Being grateful. Karma is — truly — a bitch.
To believe in this, you know need to have a religion, or accept God’s existence. You just need to know the basics of physics. How high you launch a ball in the sky, it always comes down and it probably does on your own head.
But, maybe physics is not your thing, maybe chemistry is. Lavoisier, one of the greatest french chemist said “Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed.”
Still pessimistic? Okay. In case neither physics nor chemistry resonated with you, learn about History. The Subprimes crisis is the result of nothing but human vanity: the more we get, the more we want.
In case none of those still make sense to you. I hope you watch Game of Thrones. If you do, then you know what John Snow’s people say: “The North remembers”.
Stop expecting the perfect time. Make the present time perfect.
The past is gone. How reliable my plans are, tomorrow stays uncertain. The present is the only time I have power on. I see every day as an opportunity that I have to take advantage of as much as I can.
Family, life stories, women, and failures are the best teachers I ever had.
The first taught me priceless values: respect, solidarity, brotherhood, sharing. The second inspires me. The third taught me the meaning of the two genders and their differences, the sense of engagement, loyalty, how amazing being in love is. The fourth enlightened me on life difficulties, envy, hate, friendship, business, and the power of perseverance.
I need to have enough money to no be a slave of it and keep my soul as clean as possible in the process.
This is self-explanatory.
My age is not a limitless passport.
I guess you know this goes for the elderly, but I’ve made the rule mine. I do not consider my age as a pretext for experiencing all excesses. When people happen to tell me «Try this ! You should enjoy your youth», I politely decline the offer: «No thanks, I have another plan. It’s to enjoy is my life».
Sometimes, being different is a chance, but it comes with a price.
People hardly tolerate unconventional personalities. They make them pay for being different, for thinking differently. It’s in human nature to fear the uncommon. Imposing my differences is the only way to bear them not as a cross, but to claim them as a strength.
All I know is a drop. Life is an ocean.
I keep swimming.
Knowing every principles above is good. Very good. Following them is better.
