Taking 20

Welcome to week three fellow college attendees and for those who are 18 and under, I hope high school is treating you well.
It has been a while since I have visit this page to do some not so ol fashioned blogging, but I cant exactly say I'm apologetic as my time in the real life, non Internet related present has been truly wonderful and pretty productive so no complaints here.
I have hit the ground running into the second year of my college career as most of you have with your own years of schooling and personally, I haven't been able to escape this looming cloud of age and impending pressure of figuring my life out.
I AM TWENTY YEARS OLD AND THAT IS WEIRD.
I would assume this is normal as being college students in particular, we are encouraged to choose the field of work we wish to work in and thrive in for the rest of our lives....... at the mere age of 20-21.  While it sounds overwhelming and a little nutty to have such expectations on an age of people who still probably don't know how to balance a checkbook, are living on their own for their first time, and more than likely spend more time thinking about what they are going to eat for their next meal than what their account balance looks like, I have come to conclusion, its really not that outlandish.
Why?
Because we are still young enough to not fear what we want.  Yes, yes I said that.
As a "Twenty" we have this ability to kind of.... mess up and not have completely detrimental consequences, are expected to not entirely know what they want to do and have access to so many people that are willing to help us along the way to success.  Whether you believe that or not, I cant help but assume you have at least a few supports that will be there to aid you along your journey.
All in all, we are still young enough to know that our passions might place us in a career or field that is extremely selective, exclusive or downright tough to maneuver our way into, yet still resilient, determined and passionate enough to not let that get us down and keep up focused on reaching it nonetheless.
We are tough and we are dynamic.
This can be extremely useful as an emerging adult who does not want to get stuck doing something easy vs. something that will bring fulfilment and leave meager room for regret.
We have a HUGE advantage as early 20's being somewhat forced by society to figure this out now.  Whether you do it through college, or separate aspirations, NOW is a great time to begin to figure out what really connects to your aspirations and go for it.  No pressure though, trust me.
Anyways, I suppose I have spent these first three weeks aligning my own self to be successful in some of the fields I have become particularly interested in.  I have stumbled onto some pieces of advice, sentences in books, drunk people philosophy and even tweets that have provided a nice framework to continue to build on as well as reminders for me to occasionally take a chill pill, calm the hell down, and take a step back.  I hope these things I have compiled might bring some use or insight to you.  That would be ideal so.. here I GO.

WE ARE ONLY TWENTY.

I love this statement because it can be taken a few different ways. This statement also applies to those who are almost twenty, as twenty can be more of a frame of mind.  20 symbolizes adulthood, shedding teenage years, and entering a more professional world.  I read something the other day that went something like "Most twenties these days feel that by the time they hit the twenty mark they are expected to be on the road to acquiring a company, publishing a book or having their own show."
This pressure is definitely present and I think its unfortunate that twenties bring pressure and stress like this when really, this age should bring us an excitement and opportunity.  No need to feel pressure, we have only been on this earth for TWENTY years and in my eyes, if you are 20, able to make Macaroni and Cheese and able to read a map, you are on the road to being successful.
On the contrary, WE ARE ONLY TWENTY!!  We don't have to see 20 as an excuse to not get started on doing what we love or as a cap for what we are capable of as young adults.  Just because we aren't running multi-million dollar corporations doesn't mean we cant do SOMETHING.  Like I said, we are at an age where we begin to find what we REALLY like and what we REALLY don't. Take advantage of the substantial difference between these two and act on it.
Don't stay doing something you HATE when you could be spending just as much time on something you love and something that will bring you closer to achieving something miraculous.
We really haven't been tainted by the world yet, so take advantage of your obvious visions and take hold of it.  We have the chance to use our age as a resource so DO IT. Start doing little things to work your way up to making your passions a job, career, dream come true whatever.  Baby steps are vital and passion requires patience.  So use 20 as a reality check for how young you are but use it as a motivator to start pursuing things that could make a lifetime start now.

MAKE REAL CONVERSATION WITH PEOPLE

Welcome to your 20's, where yes, you have spent the last 4-6 years commenting on peoples pictures, telling between 500-800 (more than likely) random people about how excited you are for your nieces dance recital, and knowing more OF people than you know ABOUT people.
Well....
I am here to tell you while this might still be a reality and certainly an area of entertainment, its time to start getting out in the REAL world.
SCARY I KNOW, BUT I PROMISE ITS WORTH IT.
As a 20, you have this completely underestimated chance to make a SERIOUS mark wherever you are.
AND I MEAN SERIOUS.  We can be the unexpected for people older than us; surprise those in the workforce, or people that we want to impress that we are more than just a 20 year old fumbling around in this world looking to ride off whatever great trend we can pick up on.  They will remember that and everyone around you will to.
To be honest, you have this chance at ANY age, I'm not here to exclude other ages, or say that these situations are only available to 20 years olds... But I can only speak for what I know and what I know is 20 and under.
I guess being a young adult means we have this chance to be independent and be taken seriously for the first time and setting ourselves apart in a good way can
have
really
monumental
things
come from it.
A compliment will go a lot further than a comment, sharing your story with ONE REALLY IMPORTANT person over coffee will go a lot further than with 800 random, and getting to know someone personally will reveal many benefits over being able to namedrop 4 people whom you cant begin to explain one detail about.
Quality is the name of the game.
Don't get me wrong, I am not belittling the HUGE help social media can bring you, but I am simply exemplifying how IMPERATIVE to being successful making real conversation holds.
Working your way up to becoming successful has become about "who you know" and something my business teacher this last year reiterated religiously.
So if you are serious about wanting to do something amazing, out of this world, or something that could possibly change the course of you life, talk. The power of speech is mind blowing.  Your professors?  It might seem weird to strike up conversation with them, or ask them to lunch but you can bet they are in the position they are at in a university because they are important.  They may have published books or papers, worked with people higher than them and probably have more connections than you know. And you WONT know until you GET to know them.
And you can bet they are looking to help their students succeed.  But when your business professor, who has worked with multiple millionaire entrepreneurs, business men, and success stories looks to refer one of his students to an internship position, make sure your name tops to the list.  This is real stuff, I have seen it happen!  Conversation will get your far and establish the connections that will later become mandatory to achieving a goal.  If you take the time to really foster these relationships and develop them, with WHOEVER you see fit, you are going to find you have larger than life people willing to help you and speak with you and suddenly, being 20 and dreaming of making something of yourself is going to be far more realistic with the support and knowledge you will attain.  Talk to people, man.  Its free, its fun and it will do wonders.

GET INSPIRED 

I know I know, how vague can I get?
BUT SERIOUSLY.  I am not going to tell you HOW to do it, because I certainly am not in tune to your personal sources of motivation but let me tell you, find it and DO IT ALWAYS. ALWAYS.  That spark that provides a daily reminder to keep doing what you are doing?  KEEP IT GOING.
This might mean researching people that have accomplished what you want to, or doing art, or watching videos or movies, or attending seminars, or taking classes, or traveling or whatever.
DO WHATEVER YOU CAN WITHIN YOUR MEANS TO PROPEL YOU FORWARD.
The power of inspiration will drive you in a good direction.
Everyone needs inspiration.
Watch games for the sport you want to go pro in.  Do whatever it takes.  That inspiration will provide this extra desire and excitement to go for it and push you over the edge of maybe and into the realm of doing.  Its short and sweet, but it is essential that you maintain this other source of motivation outside of just "getting things done" and remembering the deeper reason for doing what you do.  Inspiration is what reminds you that your dream is more than just a bunch of to do lists and a destination, but a journey that is SERIOUSLY COOL!  Get inspired.

BALANCE KEEPS BALANCE

In the center of this raging 20 year old restlessness to accomplish something, remember to maintain a balance.  Take your time.  You are not EXPECTED to found a new phone company, or develop a new software yet, so maintain a balance so you can BEGIN to get there in a healthy way.
Once again, we are only 20.
We like to party, and we like to hang out with our friends, and we like to occasionally take trips or go to concerts.  THESE are normal things that keep us from losing our minds in this confusing in between teen and adult stage.
And leave yourself room to do these things or whatever provides you tranquility amongst your "work" part of life.
Definitely don't get completely stressed out or criticize yourself when you take time away from your goals to do some of these fluffy parts of life.  Fun and relaxation are just as important and any other part of living life especially as a young adult.
You don't want to self combust because you honed in to one thing and kept your plans strung so tightly that any little bump in the road shakes unwinds you back to the beginning.  Keep that balance alive, and you will find that you are actually able to accomplish more when you are not holed up in your room, wound up so tight on one little detail that you have been OCD'ing it for hours trying to make it perfect.  Having balance will maintain a balance, so keep it even.

ACKNOWLEDGE WHERE YOU'LL FACE OBSTACLES - JUMP HIGHER

My mother always told me "never greet the devil before hes at the door."  I believe this whole heartedly.  Remember that sometimes the things we worry about are out of our control and there is no sense in fretting about it unproductively when it is not something that deserves to take up the worried space in your brain.
On the contrary, she has told me to plan ahead for the things you CAN do something about.
See where you are going to face struggles and plan accordingly.  As a 20 year old in college, or a 20 year old starting a business, or a 20 year old still figuring out what they are doing tomorrow, it is crucial when getting a plan set up to not be naive.  See where you might face struggles and roadblocks and different ways you can approach them and make your way over them.
Its not just about understanding their presence, but having the willpower to come up with plans to jump over them higher.   There is nothing wrong with facing these road blocks or obstacles, everyone has them.  What you can do to prevent yourself from being fatally effected by them is to plan accordingly and DON'T deny that they will be there.
A side note..... you wont be able to plan for everything.  Its a fact. You control freaks out there?  You know what I'm talking about.... don't drive yourself crazy trying to nail down every little tiny thing, but take the time to plan for what you know you will eventually have to deal with.  Budget, write out, brainstorm do what you have to do to make life easier for you down the road.
Your future self with thank you.
 And do not I repeat DO NOT let obstacles get the best of you.  Turning away from your obstacle doesn't mean that the amazing thing/place/idea behind it goes away.  Pursue, pursue, pursue.  Let people help you and be gracious.  Trust me, people have accomplished amazing things in this world but not without the obvious and inevitable obstacles.
Accept that they are there, and plot.  Planning can save you a lot of trouble and avoiding the denial of trouble will save you even more.

IF YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU ARE IN THE RIGHT PLACE, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT 

I had the pleasure of running into a former teammate the other day and spending a pleasantly long amount of time chatting about her graduating (she is a senior) and her plans for post college.  She asked me similar questions about college, what I was looking to do, and life past not doing track.  She said something that really stood out to me and something that I took to heart.
"If you are not happy where you are, then you're probably not in the right place.  Do something about it.  Because you don't want to look back down the road and wish you could have done something different."
For me, this statement is far more than just a piece of advice about setting yourself up not to regret, but a true statement of accountability and responsibility as a 20 year old with a dream.
If you aren't happy, then guess who has to make a change? YOU DO.
If that means taking a big risk to possibly get an even bigger reward, it might be worth it.  Only you can decide.  But what I truly believe we as 20 year olds need to act on more is our chance to change when we are unhappy.  We haven't locked down a job we cant get out of, haven't assumed a TON of debt (YET), and really haven't been forced to enter a world dominated by big decisions and needing to consider the consequences first.
If you aren't happy doing what you are doing, living with who you are living with, majoring in what you are majoring in, settling for what you have settled with or otherwise, its time for you to sit down and make a plan to change.
You are in COMPLETE control of your happiness and we are FAR too young to declare a perpetual state of unhappiness (nor should anyone feel that way) but we REALLY have no excuse.  Sure, we will face hard times as anyone does, but it cant be overlooked that we certainly face a lot of money barriers and miscellaneous obstacles as young adults.  But it comes back to doing what you can within your MEANS to change your situation.  I am a firm believer in being in charge of your own happiness and having no excuse to complain if you are sitting around not doing anything to make it different.
Don't be afraid to take risks and do something different.  You have to remember:
"Would taking the risk and knowing it didn't work out be worse than remaining unhappy?"
You won't know if you don't try so TRY.
SET YOURSELF UP TO BE HAPPY ANY WAY YOU ARE CAPABLE.
And if you aren't capable to make any big changes, MAKE A PLAN FOR HOW YOU CAN!  And start doing THE LITTLE THINGS along the way to lead up to making a big change.  No one is completely helpless.  If you are a human, you have no reason to not at least point yourself in the direction of change. Change is good for us 20's.  We are susceptible and adaptable to it, so now is a good time.  We haven't established roots nor do we maintain seniority anywhere so move around and follow your heart.... as corny as that sounds.  I beseech you to become part of a movement of young adults who aren't afraid to take their destiny by the horns and harness it.  Its possible!

I guess that is kind of it.  I have definitely felt moved over the course of this last year to start pursuing life in a more positive and opportunistic way and I can't believe how far I have come from it.  I have met some amazing people this year and a lot of the journey I am on is owed to those people for helping me through self realization.  Its cool.
All in all, I want this year to be standout to you.  I have a good feeling about it and I just would like to see people taking this year into their own hands and really doing spectacular things with it.  People do crazy cool things when they are in an unstoppable mind set and stay attentive and aware to a few minor things.
In the midst of voiced skepticism, unlikelihood of success and continual testing, do what you love.  You have no idea the kind of inspiration you provide to those who are 20 like me, or 50 or 8.
I would say this post started me off for the year in a good, liberated way and sharing some of my thoughts to the world is a huge part of being 20 for me.
I look forward to seeing what these next 365 days are filled with, and I look forward to seeing what it has in store for you too.
Take 20 with force!
Don't run from it, fear it, or let it intimidate you.
Partner up with it to make something greater than you could have ever imagined.
Remember also... that you are only 20, so give yourself some credit.  You have survived thus far, and you are going to be just fine.
Make your debut as a kickass young adult, in whatever way, big or small, you can do it.
I believe there's no time like now to do so.