3 Things I Wish Someone Told Me in My Early 20's

As I sit here in the last weeks of my 20’s and reflect on the fuckery that has been the last decade, I can’t help but think of some of the things I wish someone had told me in my early twenties. 

I mean, shit, maybe somebody tried to but I wasn’t listening. So, if I could go back in time and shake the shit out of myself, here’s 3 things I would say. 

1. The majority of people you meet in life are only there for a short period of time. The guys I referred to as a big brother, the girls I thought would be friends for life, the co-workers I had grown incredibly close with… almost every single one of those relationships faded. Sure one or both of us could have made more effort to preserve the relationship and make it last. But no one cared enough to. And that’s okay. Sometimes we just need to appreciate people for what they were to us at that moment in time. 
   
   
2. You become who you hang out with - and even if it’s not true, it’s how people will view you. Look, I thought I was on some profound all-inclusive shit by being friends with anyone and everyone. It was not profound. It almost ruined my life. If you want to be in a better place in life, then look at your surroundings. If you wanna be a loser, then hang out with losers. If you want to get your shit together and make yourself proud, then surround yourself with other people who are also on board with getting their shit together. 
   
   
3. If it’s not going to matter to you in 6+ months, then stop worrying about it now. In my early 20’s, I had a hot temper. I would get so mad at shit like hearing that this girl said this about me or whatever. To the point where I almost lost a job I loved because of my reaction to it. And it didn’t take me until years later to just ask myself like, “Hey… why the fuck did you care so much?” I’m not saying it doesn’t hurt when somebody says something hurtful about you. It does. And you’re allowed to have those feelings. But don’t let it consume you. Because then the negativity wins. They win. Other people’s opinion of you is none of your business and if they aren’t someone important to you in life, then why give a shit about what they have to say?