Aging is a beautiful thing. The
word “aging” itself gets a bad reputation; however, as the saying goes, “like
fine wine we get better with age. “ Now, I won’t take credit for being the
originator of that epic statement, but I will tell you what it means to me.
Approaching the age of 25, I feel like I have lived a million different “lives.”
Some of my most memorable lives include: the “I’m better than you” life, the “I
go to Deerfield” life, the “give me
rules, I’ll break them” life, the “I know everything” life, the “I’m in a
sorority (insert eye roll)” life, and lastly and the most unforgettable “it’s
all about me” life. Each of these “lives” has taught me more about myself and
the person I strive to be. Without aging, I would be stuck in one of these
phases of life that, to be frank, is annoying and shallow.
I don’t know what the big deal is
with getting older. If you are worried about your looks, there are PLENTY of
procedures that can make you look 20 again; please don’t be this superficial.
Personally, I choose to believe that the older you get, the more wisdom you encompass
and you become a step closer to finding your identity. Life is an
experimentation, a playing field, to find yourself. There will be times where
you are embarrassed, sad, immensely happy, confused, torn, and devastated;
learn from it. Take your time and deal with how you feel, then, move on!
I don’t know the exact moment when
I started feeling empowered by the person I have become; but I do know that I
have never felt better. One of the biggest lessons I have learned is to stop
caring about what other people think. I remember many times in my life when I
tried to be someone I wasn’t because I was scared of being judged by others.
Nowadays, you can take me or leave me. I don’t need to change who I am to suit
you. If you don’t like me, that’s fine! I have plenty of people in my life who not
only like me, they LOVE me.
I am in no way perfect. That would
be far from the truth; I still have my faults. If I had to describe myself in a
few words, I would choose the words: sarcastic, a tad bitchy (at times),
feisty, compassionate, strong willed, and evolving. When you are capable of
seeing your faults, you open yourself to change. I don’t think there is a guide
on how to rid yourself of faults; no one is perfect. What encourages me to
become a better person, let go of negativity and live in the moment is the
ability to make someone’s day a little better. It could be something as small
as holding a door open or smiling at a stranger; you never know what it means
to someone else.
As I keep aging through life, I hope
to only continue my journey on becoming the person I want to be. I know that
there will be speed bumps and at many times I may wish to turn to negativity to
get me through, but I hope my heart continues to be the only voice I listen to.
Cheers
to my very first blog,
XO-
Caroline
