The character-building truths I wish I knew when I was 21

Your 20s are a weird phase in your life. Dreams get bigger than your heart can handle, filling you with a mad rush to accomplish your goals immediately. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, here are nine lessons that would have greatly helped me if I'd known them when I was 21.

1. Don’t worry about your age

Your life doesn’t end at 30. In fact, barely a third of your life is done. How can you say it’s over?

Don’t treat your 20s like a mad dash that only focuses on the future. Live in the moment. Breathe. Laugh. You won’t get this time back.

2. Peace of mind > Societal validation

If you think, act, and behave like everyone else, you won't get to live an authentic or honest life.

You deprive humanity of knowing the magic that flows in your veins and being dazzled by the burst of colors inside your soul.

3. No one’s going to save you

Don’t waste your life waiting for the person, the relationship, the job, or the family that will “save” you.

You’ve got to work for your dreams to come true. Your courage blooms the day you stop waiting to be saved and become your own savior.

4. People won’t be honest with you

How can they be, when most people aren’t honest with themselves?

Use your judgment, trust your gut, and don’t expect anyone — not even your closest friends and relatives — to be 100% honest with you all the time. It’s now how humans work.

5. You’re probably defining “confidence” wrong

Confidence isn’t about knowing that you’ll always succeed. It's about how comfortable you can be with failure. Failure is a part of the learning process. It doesn’t define your self-worth; rather, it teaches you a lesson

6. Say sorry

Few things in life are as irreversible as burning bridges. Don’t let your ego come between you and the next opportunity. If it’s your fault, apologize. You’ll learn more about yourself and the other person involved.

7. Don’t put your life on hold until…

You reach your goal weight.

You get married to a “dream” spouse.

You earn X dollars every month.

Happiness isn’t waiting at the end of certain milestones. The power to be happy lies within you. Don’t box it in with restrictions.

8. Don’t envy what you don’t want

You might be envious when a friend reaches a position you may never get to. But understand there are aspects of their life you wouldn’t trade anything for. You never know a person’s full story. Don't envy them. Simply observe and learn.

9. It’s okay to just be

If you obsessively look for learnings in every failure, you’ll start feeling suffocated.

Sometimes things happen for reasons beyond our control. There’s no lesson, just consequences.

Sometimes, it’s okay to have faith that it will all work out.