Things you wished you knew as you became an adult

1. You Are Not Society’s Ideal - I took off my shirt after a work out and looked at my body in the mirror. I was so lean that I could see the veins in my abs. My arms were massive and my body as whole looked like a statue. That’s when a voice in my head said “You’re still three inches too short, four shades too dark, have the wrong colored eyes,” and I realized no matter how much I grew and developed I would never society’s ideal. So establish your values for yourself and become an idealized version of yourself.
2. You Are Not Guaranteed Success - When I was younger I thought being successful was inevitable, it was just the natural consequence of me getting older. This is not the case, success can easily slip out of your fingers. It is not something that happens on accident, but is achieved by consistent effort and perseverance.
3. Some Doors Are Closed Forever - I didn’t have the highest grades in high school, that meant I’d never know what it’s like to be a Harvard Undergrad. Whether it’s not going for a kiss at the right time or messing up at a job interview, some doors that were once open will close forever.
4. Some Friendships are Meant to End - In high school and college I had a gaggle of friends who were into drugs. As I grew on my personal journey those friends fell out my life. Our interest were no longer aligned and they didn’t appreciate who I was becoming.
5. You’re an Addict - Whether it’s TV, food or the gym, find out what your addiction is and find a way to either sublimate that behavior or continue to have that behavior leave a positive impact on your life.
6. Every Opportunity You Say Yes to is Closing a Door - Want to live in New York? That means you can’t live in LA. Want to be work Wall Street? That means you can’t be a doctor. Want to have a series of one night stands? That means that you cannot invest in growing a relationship with one person. Every opportunity you take advantage of will require you to say no to something. Accept this and move on, don’t complain about how you can’t have your cake and eat it, too. The fact that we can’t do everything makes what we experience valuable.
7. The Reason You Aren’t Where You Want to Be is Because You are a Coward - What if I told you that 85% of the reason why you won’t be the person you want to be is because you don’t have courage to make the decisions that would put you in place to truly succeed. This might not apply to everyone, but it applies to most people, including myself. We blind ourselves to the solutions to our problems because what the solutions require us to do scare us.
   
   “So what are these barriers that keep people from reaching anywhere near their real potential? The answer to that can be found in another question, and that's this: Which is the most universal human characteristic - fear or laziness?”  You pick!

Credits: William Beteet