At some point in your life you will find yourself at a crossroads. This crossroads presents you with a choice, and forces you to make big decisions that will effect the direction your life will take. While you may encounter several crossroads throughout your life’s journey, it is most common to be faced with one in your twenties. This is the age where everything changes. You have finished high school, and are now ready to step out into the world. There’s a sense of possibility and freedom, but also, for many, a sense of apprehension. Like many, I went through an experience such as this when I was younger. And I’m here to tell you – it’s okay. It will be okay.

Lostness

It is not uncommon to feel lost when you are at this age and time in your life. Maybe some of your friends from school are at university studying to be lawyers or doctors, and this scares you because just don’t know what you want to do in ten, twenty, thirty years time. Maybe your newsfeed is littered with photos of people you know travelling the world, but you aren’t sure that an overseas excursion is for you right now. Maybe, you see familiar faces in the same job they’ve been in for years. All of these scenarios can be scary. You feel like you are getting left behind, and don’t have a place in the world. Where do I go from here? What happens next? What am I doing? What do I want to do? I guarantee, you are not the only person feeling this way. The important thing to realise is that you can’t become consumed with worry. The truth is, no one really knows what they will be doing in ten or twenty years. Maybe your old friends who studied to be lawyers and doctors will have completely different careers. All you can do is establish what you want at this time, and follow that path. If you can’t figure even that out, then an OE is a valuable option. Travelling broadens your mind and increases your sense of independence. You will learn things about yourself and about the world that you can only discover by getting out of your comfort zone. You will make friends for life, and gain a deeper perspective of what life is really like. So at this point, try not to stress too much. You don’t need to have everything figured out right now. You will gain a sense of direction as you progress through your twenties – just maybe not the way you thought you would.

Love

This is something nearly everyone will grapple with during their twenties. If you’re single, you will probably wonder if you are ever going to find the right person, or if you will be alone forever (not likely). You might think that there is no one out there for you, or that when you do meet them it will be too late to start a family. If this is the case, don’t sweat it – there is someone out there for each and every one of us. When you find that person can’t be answered, but know that you will have love in your life. Alternatively, if you’re in a relationship already the stigma of being in your twenties and needing to sort your life out can put a lot of strain on a couple. Some decide early on that this is it, and begin building their lives together. Others might panic, wondering if they really want to spend their lives with this person, if they need to be with other people since they’re so young, if they need to be on their own for part of this momentous decade. You can’t think like that. Just like you can’t know what career your future self will have, you can’t know for sure who you will end up marrying or spending your life with. You can, however, know how you feel. Do you love this person? Do they make you happy and enhance your life? Does the thought of losing them make you feel sick? Can you picture yourself eventually settling down with them? If you answered no, or doubted any of those questions then maybe you do need to consider what is best for you and your partner. But if you answered yes, then take the chance. Most people who give up on love because they think they need to be on their own regret it further down the track. If you are lucky enough to have real love now, then you go for it – and you might have everything.

Everything Happens the Way it is Supposed To

This is one of my favourite mottos, and it definitely applies to the crossroads of your twenties, as well as any crossroads you may face later in life. You must believe that their is a greater force out there which guides us on the journey of life. When you are in your twenties, you are still discovering things about yourself, your wants and needs, and life in general. What means something to you is unique. There’s no right way to do things. It will unfold naturally and you will end up where you are supposed to be. If something bad happens to you, know that is happening for a reason – to make your stronger, to build your sense of self-confidence, to increase your independence or to teach you a valuable life lesson. To make way for bigger and better things. Life has ups and downs, which is what makes it such an exciting adventure. It’s unpredictable. Rest assured that while things may seem uncertain now, in ten years time you will be exactly where you are meant to, and you will look back at your twenties and be thankful.