“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.”
~ Ecclesiastes 3:11
A friend asked me about what are the things I’ve learned in my twenties. As I’m writing this article, I deeply contemplated her question, what did I learn in my 20’s so far?
I started to play the flashback movie in my mind of what happened to me and how I walked that season. I am a firm believer in the concept of times and seasons.
Indeed, there is a time for everything and there is beauty in every season. As I recalled the events that happened from my early twenties, I just laughed and recalled how faithful my God is in my life. Yes, I am a believer in Christ. I can’t imagine walking my life without Him. He is my compass that helped me navigate my entire twenties.
[ Photo by Helen Cheng on Unsplash ]
As I embark on the journey of bidding goodbye to 20’s life, here are the five things I’ve learned in that season.
1. Be brave to get out of your comfort zone.
As cliché it may sound getting out of your comfort zone is liberating. Yes, it's scary but you’ll never know unless you dive into it.Move into the country where you want to live.
Try the things you’ve never done before but not forgetting to have wisdom as you make decisions out of it.
Be courageous to make the bold decision yet be considerate of who the people will be affected by your plan.
As a believer, I honor my parents in the Lord. When I decide to move out of the country, I consider their blessing whether they will allow me to do it. Fortunately, they respected my choice and I moved out of home at 21 after a year of my graduation and first job in school.
In this season of getting out of my comfort zone, I learned to be comfortable in an uncomfortable situation. I became bolder and stronger as the years went by. I had no regrets in stepping out of the unknown. My faith got stronger to the One who brought me in the season.
2. Grow somewhere.
I loved this quote from Saint Francis de Sales,“Bloom where you’re planted.”
Grow in the place where you are now in your workplace. Learn lots of skills, be patient in cultivating yourself, and be faithful in the little and time will come you’ll be entrusted with much.
Be humble to check out your weaknesses and turn them into your strengths.
If you are weak in managing your finances, start learning how to budget.
If you need to be more confident in speaking publicly, enroll in a speech power class. Find a mentor and learn from them. Like plants, we nurture ourselves by feeding our minds with knowledge and skills. The best time to learn new things is now.
You gotta fight your lazy bones and start growing inch by inch until you’ll find yourself you’ve changed.
3. Take care of yourself.
Be healthy holistically: mind, body, and soul. Feed your mind with healthy thoughts and stay away from the bad ones.Eat healthily, enjoy what you eat, and practice self-control when to stop. Don’t wait for the time when your body's metabolism is getting slow.
Also, have a break when you are exhausted. Do your relaxation routines or if you don’t have one, create your own.
If you love nature, go for a walk. If you are a home buddy, do your spa session at the comfort of your home. Have time to relax and wind down.
You deserved it after working and accomplishing your daily task. Loving yourself is not a selfish act. It’s being a good steward of this being borrowed to us.
4. Trust the process.
When you are in the challenging season, be humble to trust the process and how you will go to the other side. Perhaps this season is setting you up into greater heights. It's just a test of how you will respond to the situation.Moreover, the trying season is allowing you to look at the big picture of possibilities and enlarge your heart to receive more.
My mom will always remind me that in every challenge comes a great blessing. Do not falter when things didn’t turn out well. Do not give up when your prayers are not answered. Trust the process of waiting although it feels like it’s not coming.
Most of the time, solutions or blessings come in the most unexpected time. Seek good counsel. Ask for godly advice during these trying times.
Surround yourself with people that will understand you, love you when you are vulnerable, and walk with you in the season.
5. Be grateful always.
At the end of the day, I learned to be thankful for whatever happened in the entire day. I choose to have a grateful heart whether things turn out good or bad.I kept a gratitude journal and every night I write down three things I’m grateful for. It helped me to change my perspective and to have a joyful and confident expectation of the days coming.
The secret of staying youthful and vibrant in your twenties or even beyond is to have a happy and grateful heart.
Indeed, there is beauty in every season of our life. Appreciate the season where you are in. I hope that you will learn to number your days to gain the heart of wisdom in that life journey.
+++
If you are in your twenties or not and you are reading this, I hope you’ll gain something from this. There is more in this life that we need to discover. May you never lose the wonder to savor your season.
About the Author
Jezsicah is a Missionary teacher based in South Korea. She is an innovator with a big heart and loves to wander with a purpose.If you enjoy reading this post, you can follow Jezsicah on her blog WanderJec and Instagram account to stay updated.