Are 40s the new 20s?

Technically speaking, at the time of writing this, I have been in my 20s for 263 days. Now compared to the (God willing) 3650 days that my 20s will consist of, this is only a fraction of that time. However, those 263 days have been enough to convince me that your 20s are really not all rainbows and sunshine like so many people like to say they are. 

I mean, I think the vast majority of us can have heard the old 'Oh I wish I was in my 20s again' or 'Oh to be in your 20s'. Whether it be on TV, some other form of media or even in person, it's a pretty common phrase. So you can probably imagine my disappointment when 263 days into my 20s, I realised that actually at least 230 of those 263 days were more than a bit of a struggle. Now don't get me wrong, there have been good (even great) times but as a whole, it's been filled with anxiety, stress and a whole lot of 'what the heck am I doing?!', and the thing is, I am not alone!

A lot of my friends have also been feeling the same way, which led to me questioning... Are the 20s really all they're cracked up to be? With this in mind, the other day I was having a nice little chat with my Aunt (i.e. one of my favourite people ever) where she mentioned that the 40s were great because you just don't care what people think of you anymore. A couple of people agreed and I have definitely heard my mum say the same thing numerous times over the last few years, so there has been some pretty solid evidence. I mentioned my personal experience and thoughts about the 20s and how so far, it was pretty rough. Much to my surprise, my aunt completely agreed and said that being in your 20s really is a difficult time. You're trying to find who you are and what you want to do, all while trying to fit in. It's a mess!

A little shocked, I asked why people always wish they were in their 20s again. My Aunt told me that actually, people wish they could do their 20s again but with their 40s mindset, knowing all they know now. This was very interesting to me and I have been thinking about it all week. Are the 40s the new 20s?

Maybe they are, and I guess I won't know for sure until I reach that age. But, I am inpatient. I don't want to wait 20 years so I can look back at how rough my 20s were. I want to stop things in their path and change the outcome. Is it possible that with this new knowledge, I can make my 20s, 30s, 40s and more equally full of joy and acceptance and love? Well, I am certainly going to try. So far, I have discovered that choosing not to care about judgement and fitting in, is a massive step in the right direction, and so that is where I will begin. This has always been a massive struggle for me and I am excited to see the changes that flourish from it.

Your 20s should be full of learning, and a big part of learning is failure. I am 100% certain I will 'fail' at times, but is it really failure if you learn from your mistakes? I don't think so.

Sorry this has been such a rambly post but it's just been something on my mind lately. If you made it this far AND managed to understand what I was saying, then well done to you! 

What do you think? Are 40s the new 20s?

Thanks for reading and be sure to follow the blog!

Holly X 

P.s. How is it Auguest already!!!