Today I mark the completion of another trip around the sun. And it’s got me feeling a little reflective. Particularly about how my perspective has changed in the last couple of decades…
When I was in my twenties, I walked around pretty confident that I had life figured out. Not all of it, of course — I wasn’t delusional — but I genuinely believed I had the basics mastered. Looking back, I now realize I was operating with the wisdom of a half-charged Nokia phone: enough power to get through the day, but not nearly enough to handle everything coming.
For example, I thought I understood sleep. Back then, I treated sleep like it was optional — something you do when the party ends or when the sun forces you to. Now I treat sleep like it’s a rare collectible. If I get eight uninterrupted hours, I walk around bragging like I just won the Boston Marathon.
I thought I understood money, too. In my twenties, I believed the key to financial success was simple: don’t buy dumb stuff. Turns out the real key is much more complicated: things like tires, plumbing repairs, and unexpected “service fees” show up in your life like surprise pop quizzes. And no matter how well you plan, the IRS will always find a way to send you a letter at the exact moment you’re feeling good about your budget.
I also thought I understood groceries. I’d grab whatever was cheapest, toss it in a pan, and call it dinner. Today I read labels, compare ingredients, and try to convince myself that buying anything advertised as “organic” somehow makes me the kind of person who has my life together. (It doesn’t. But sometimes the illusion is worth the extra three dollars.)
But the biggest thing I thought I understood? People. In my twenties I assumed everyone thought more or less like I did. Now I know better. People are wonderfully unpredictable. They’ll surprise you, challenge you, frustrate you, make you laugh, and show up for you in ways you didn’t expect. Experience teaches you that most folks are trying their best — even if it doesn’t always look like it.
Somewhere along the line, I realized growing older isn’t about mastering life. It’s about understanding that you never really “arrive.” You just keep learning, adjusting, laughing, and doing your best to navigate the chaos with a little kindness and a good sense of humor.
If I could send a message back to my twenty-something self, it would be simple:
You don’t know as much as you think… and that’s okay.
Life will teach you what you need to know — one overdue bill, one good friend, one early bedtime at a time.
And honestly? I’m still figuring it out. But at least now I get better sleep.