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Don't Waste Your 20s!

This afternoon, I was scrolling through my Facebook feed when a trending post caught my attention. It was a post of a teacher in his 20s where he shared his achievements from the age of 20 until the age of 26, with the caption "**Don't waste your 20s**". For the sake of the teacher's privacy, I won't share here his name or the link of the post I saw because when I browsed his profile, he said he's planning to delete the post after it went viral. But his post went like this:

(And an inspiring message here which I didn't understand because it was in his local dialect.) I went through the comment section and tried to comprehend the sentiments of those who commented on the post. Some found the post inspiring, but most of them felt triggered as if the post's intention was to show off. When I read the post, my initial reaction was the typical "**Sana all**" whenever you see someone who has achieved great things in life at such a young age. But when I read the post again, I was inspired to also achieve my dreams. But as I think about it, I can't help but compare myself to him and his achievements. I also remembered the great goals and huge dreams I planned to achieve at a specific age when I was still young, which he was able to fulfill. I felt a little disappointed in myself especially with the situation we are in now. I asked myself, "**Am I falling short with my goals? Am I doing my best to achieve all of my dreams in life?**" I'll be turning 22 years old in 4 months and the thought of having another year added to my age just adds weight to the pressure I'm already carrying on my shoulders. **Am I wasting my 20s?**

I'm only 21 years old. Others would say I'm still too young to be worried about achieving these great goals I have set for myself and for my family. Some would say, just enjoy your life. Don't worry too much. Take things one at a time. It's okay to fail and commit mistakes. And I take all of these words positively. **When I was still in Elementary to High School, I used to plan my life and set goals at a specific age.** Just like him, I also thought I will be able to graduate from college at the age of 20. But unluckily, I became one of the pioneers of the K-12 Academic Curriculum, which means another 2 years were added for my schooling. Instead of just 11, I have to spend 13 years on my education alone because of the Senior High School that was added. And another 4 years to be spent in college. At the age of 21, I thought I will already have work in the corporate world. I thought I will land a job after graduating from college. But here I am, still a struggling yet striving college student. At the age of 22, I thought I will then have huge savings in my bank account that I will be able to travel inside the Philippines and to foreign countries. At the age of 23, I thought I will then have saved enough that I get to go back to graduate school to have my Master in Business Administration. At the age of 24, I thought I will then graduate with my Master's degree and get promoted from my job. At the age of 25, I thought I will already be a Young Millionaire because I saved enough from my salary and other investments. I thought I will then get to buy my dream car and travel around our place using it with my friends and family. I thought I will then get to buy a piece of land and build my dream house. At the age of 26, I thought I will then get married. (Lol This really is my ideal age of getting married. Wahaha! 🤣) At the age of 27, I thought I will establish my first business and become the CEO. At the age of 28, I thought I will get to visit my dream International travel destinations. At the age of 29, I thought I will then become a mother. (Ehehehe 🤭🤣) But as I think about the future I used to imagine when I was still younger, I don't think these goals will be achieved at their desired time. I believe in my abilities and the power of my dreams, but some things won't work according to our plans, especially with the existence of the pandemic and other circumstances. Being in my 20s, I think this is such a crucial age, particularly whenever I see those people who are also in their 20s getting to achieve and live their dreams. I would get to compare myself to them, question my skills, and doubt my goals. It feels a little frustrating when you are working hard, giving your all, yet it somehow looks like you're not progressing at all. But I always remind myself, **life is not a race**. There is no competition where whoever gets to the finish line first is called to be the winner. So am I wasting my 20s? No, and I won't. But just because I won't achieve my goals as early as I set them, doesn't mean I'm wasting my time. All of us are taking different paths. We are not living the same lives and have the same privilege. We don't encounter the same challenges and battles others are facing. Getting to accomplish your dreams at your desired time is incredible, but if you attained them at a later time, it doesn't make it less. You just worked at your own time. **Live at your own pace.** Don't be pressured by what society expects you to achieve at a certain time. Don't pressure yourself. We all will get there.

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