In honor of just recently turning 25 and not having to have looked forward to it at all, my best friend nonchalantly threw in a scary comment, “you’re halfway to 50.” Which, more or less, didn’t help the situation. In fact, saying I peed my pants would have been better than getting a metaphorical punch to my face. So I obviously considered this none-other than a quarter-life crisis.

So far in my life, I have had a hell of a ride, and a good one to say that least. Sure some parts really sucked, but we all know that’s just part of life.

I don’t know about you, but when I recall the last 25 years of my life, it was mainly about fun, friends, and screwing up.

However, being 25 just did not seem like an age where you can easily “screw up.” It’s more of an age where you are finally expected to get your life together, get a job, and settle down. Basically, do everything society (including friends and family) expects you to do. But wait a minute, what if you’re not ready for that?

The next 25 years are just as important as the first. Instead of concentrating on achieving your dreams, you’re more concentrated on finding a significant other so you are able to keep up with society’s norms, such as finding a job and having kids.

However, I figured out that you ultimately make a choice for everything you do in life. Whether you follow other people’s dreams and beliefs or you stay to your true self and, in short, do you.

At 25 we’re beginning to think about settling or are doing it already. But here’s the thing; we do just that; settle. We settle for that boyfriend/girlfriend who doesn’t make our hearts full just so we can have kids at an appropriate age. Settle for that job we hate just because it gives you a good paycheck.

But do we really deserve that? Do we need to settle for the route that society has cut out for us?

The answer is this; sure, if that is the path you want to go. But many of us are still clinging to our dreams and visions that have nothing to do with that route, whether that’s now or never.

So this 25th birthday, I’ve decided to make myself some important promises.

  1. I won’t settle for the job that I hate: I’ll give it a chance, of course, because you never know whether you’ll love it in the end. However, if I have wasted more than a sufficient amount of time at a job that isn’t improving myself or my mood than I’ll be looking elsewhere.
  1. I won’t settle for anything less than love: Sure I want to have a family one day. But I also want to marry my best friend whom I love with all my heart and vise-versa. On the side note; in today’s world, we don’t necessarily need a significant other in order to have a child.
  1. I will not settle for anything less than I deserve: Because I appreciate myself and I know I’m worth it no matter what. I hope you too can recognize the valuable human that you are. Because you are important, and what you do is important as well.

Moral of the story- you’ll probably piss off a lot of people, friend, and family both. But your route is your route for a reason. It’s the route worth taking. Where lessons will be learned and life will be loved. Because in the end, you’re living the life that is for you, not someone else.

Don’t apologize for what you do when you’re doing something that you love. And don’t ever apologize for the decisions you make because at one time or other, that decision made/makes you happy.

So whether you’re 25, 55, or 85 years old. This is your life. Every choice that you make is a choice for yourself. So go the direction you want to go, and have the courage to surpass other people’s thoughts and achieve what you want to achieve.

You have one life; don’t spend it living it to other’s expectations and instead, amaze yourself.