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30 Days Till 30. Lesson 9: Quarter-life crisis. Yes, there is such a thing.

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Admittedly, I abandoned 30 Days Till 30.

Overwhelmed with recent travel, lots of business, moving, analysis paralysis, and getting engaged, “30 Days Till 30,” has been on the back burner. So, being that I am now 4 months into 30 years of age, you’ll have to be brought up to speed… speedily.

So, without further ado:

Lesson 9: Quarter-life crisis.

If you are reading this right now, it’s likely that you understand what I mean when I say I went through puberty at 23.

No, not the physical puberty we undergo from childhood to adulthood. Instead, I suffered an emotional puberty upon graduating from college that came with some terrifically immature side effects.

Side effects now known as quarter-life crisis.

I was about to enter law school (because I wasn’t sure what the heck to do with my life), and any act of rebellion that I could pursue without “getting into trouble” was on my “to-do” list. Basically, I was engaged in a brutal battle with myself.

Fighting the impending reality of adulthood was the only thing on my subconscious mind. I say subconscious because, at the time, I would have attributed my behavior to the free-spirited adventure enthusiast inside.  But looking back now, it is clear to me that I was lashing out because I feared the unknown.

During this time of post-pubescent puberty, I maxed out my pursuit of adventure sports. On any given day, I was surfing, snowboarding, climbing, or hunting for steep hills to skateboard.

My tomboy within took over.  The more battered and bruised I got, the better I felt.

For hydration, I opted for Pabst Blue Ribbon, or Mr. Morgan and Cola.

I slept when I wasn’t pursuing adventure sports, or while I was “studying” in the law library.

And, I started my own personal campaign to fight “The Man”, Corporate America, and any other example of egregious capitalism.

What I see now, that I couldn’t have identified then, was that I was taking my last stance against being a grown up. I was outwardly expressing my tormented sentiments towards the age-old, 20-something question “What am I going to do with my life?”

I was “on track” to becoming an adult, but I was kicking and screaming the whole entire way.

As my awareness of this fact increased, I noticed that many of friends where experiencing their own version of this midlife crisis before midlife. Their expression may have been different, but their sentiments were the same.

“What am I supposed to do with my life?”  It’s a loaded question, and usually we don’t have the answer. If you’re 20-something and you’re confused about what to do with your life, your future, or yourself…welcome to the club.

Here’s the thing. Don’t fight the crisis. Welcome it.
Don’t hide from the hard questions you need to ask yourself. Explore them.
Don’t repress fears or doubts. Confront them.
And, if you need to “get it out of your system”…get it out.

Then, take a deep breath and relax because here is the truth. It’s all a process. Figuring out this thing called life is nearly impossible. You learn as you go.

Spend your time seeking the things that make you happy. Share experiences with the people you love. And, do things for others that they can’t do for themselves. With this philosophy, it WILL all come together.

Above all, remember that growing up outwardly isn’t at all the same as growing up inwardly. So always hold fast to your kid at heart.

Over the coming weeks, I will continue to cover the most important life-lessons that I’ve learned over my short 30 year journey thus far.  Lessons that have led me to the blessed and wonderful place I am in today. I hope you’ll find my experiences helpful to your journey.

The post 30 Days Till 30. Lesson 9: Quarter-life crisis. Yes, there is such a thing. appeared first on Copywriter, Content Marketing Expert, Social Media Marketer.


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