At 23 with hopefully an entire lifetime of experience ahead there I still so much that I still want and need to learn. But in the 5 continents, 7 years, and 20 countries filled with experiences that have passed since I first traveled alone on a work-trip to Holland this is so far a piece of what I wish that I had been able to tell myself then.
If you are lucky enough to love or to find a space that feels right, you are still going to age and you will change and you will gain new perspectives. You can die today or you can live to experience the start of a thousand tomorrows, but you will never know until that time has come.
Today is all you have, and today is all you will ever have. Be fully present and remember to feel each touch, listen, and to run without looking back. Take the risk, speak your mind, express your love and never be afraid to take the leap to leave something that isn’t for you. Stay true to yourself and don’t waste your time trying to live up to expectations that aren’t your own to please or impress a person that isn’t important to you, because your time will never come back. You will never be exactly the same as yesterday and you will always be in constant growth and change.
Don’t be afraid to give your all to reach a goal or to work hard to gain experience even if you are met with doubt or hardship. Listen to yourself and stand your ground but also remember to learn and grow from every mistake, and to never be too stubborn or proud to learn and to change your ways. What was right for you yesterday might not be right for you today and there is no shame in change.
When you find something that makes you burn, don’t let your ego or the expectations of others make it slip through your fingers. Remember to always be humble and kind and to always treat others with respect, even if they don’t live up to your personal expectations. Understand that everyone else is as much of an individual as you are and that your experiences and opinions won’t always match the opinions and experiences of others. Never accept being treated badly, but also never judge or make uncalled for assumptions. If you don’t listen you will never understand what someone else has been through or what has led them to make the choices they have made, but if you are open and act without ego and without reflecting back into your own persona you will gain both knowledge and friendship.
Remember to always actively make decisions and to take ownership of your own life and emotions and to never make someone else responsible for your happiness or success. You are always going to be in charge of your own future and if you rely on the actions of someone else you will never be able to plan or predict the path that YOU want.
Savour each moment and always be humble and grateful, because time is fleeting and what ultimately will matter when your day comes, is that you will be able to look back without regret or missed opportunities.
Artwork via Vance Studio.