Naivety World

I hardly realized when I turned 30. It didn’t feel like a big deal. If it wasn’t for the surprise party my colleagues planned, I probably would’ve had a quiet dinner at home, watching my favorite romcom and calling it a night. 

Then came the inevitable questions: “How does it feel to turn 30?” Was it supposed to feel different? I didn’t know. I suppose being 30 and looking like I’m still in my 20s has its perks, except when I’m constantly having to prove my age while out with friends.

Anyway, that’s beside the point.

I’m not here to talk about age. I’m here to talk about the quality of the years lived.

I experienced most things later than most because I grew up sheltered. I didn’t even realize how much I was missing because I didn’t know what was out there to begin with. It wasn’t until much later, when suddenly the entire world seemed to exist online, that I started seeing just how much life people were living. Content creators, influencers, people building entire lives and chasing big dreams, right there on my screen. And then there was me, still figuring it out. Still learning how to want things without feeling like it’s already too late to have them.

For a while, that “lateness” sat heavy. Every scroll through social media felt like a reminder of everything I hadn’t done yet. Career milestones. Weddings. Babies. Home ownership. Everyone else seemed to have cracked the code on living a full life.

But here’s what I’m learning, even though the clock is ticking, life isn’t a rigid timeline. There’s no expiry date on when you’re allowed to fall in love, change careers, start over, or bloom. And chasing someone else’s timeline only pulls you further away from the person you’re actually becoming.

At the same time, it’s not enough to just sit with the frustration. You can’t stay stuck in the waiting. You have to move, however small the step. You have to do the most you can with the life you’ve been given. You want more? Reach for more. Be honest about what you feel, but don’t let the fear of being “behind” keep you from actually living.

It’s okay to feel the frustration, the longing, the hope. Feel it. Name it. But then move.

Because while there’s still time, none of us really know how much of it we have. And I don’t want to wake up one day and realize I was so busy chasing what I thought life should look like, that I forgot to actually live.

So if you’re feeling stuck, and feeling like you’re running out of time, let this be your reminder, you’re not out of time yet.

Live while you’re here.

xo