10 false beliefs I had in my 20’s

Ahh, the 20's. The tender years of coming of age, adulting and... false beliefs.

We think we know it all at that age, and I was not exception.

Here are 10 things I wholeheartedly believed were true a decade ago.

Boy, was I wrong!

1. That living life just for yourself made you deeply happy.

No; helping others and serving a purpose makes you happy.

Of course, taking care of yourself is important, but you will never be fulfilled if you are completely useless to others and to the world. Legacy matters; how you are remembered matters.

2. That health is free.

No; you have to tend to it.

When we are young and popping, we never really think anything of health, we think it is free and everlasting. Nope, age takes a toll on you, and life definitely hits your body hard if you are not careful. Eating healthy, exercising, sleeping enough, and regular check-ups are paramount.

3. That love is a feeling.

No; love is a choice and an action.

Sure, butterflies in your stomach feel nice. But lust and true love are completely different. Love is waking up every day and deciding you will care for a person, that you will be there for them and be a blessing to them. It is empathy and sympathy. It is forgiveness and sacrifice; it is given without interest.

4. That men and women are the same.

No; men and women are different and complementary, it is natural, and it is perfect.

Truth is, as much as we think we would like to have the same life trajectories and life experiences, that is simply not the case. It is foolish to fight nature so hard when everything is just the way it should be when it comes to the sexes.

5. That sex can be casual.

No; sex is powerful and comes with ties.

Granted, we have become experts at pretending that we are not affected whatsoever by sex; but every single time two (or more) people are intimate, they share something sacred and special, for better or worse. There is no such thing as casual sex.

6. That people are evil.

No; people are hurting or they don’t know better.

No baby was ever born with the sole intention to hurt the ones around them. Life happens, and hurt people tend to hurt people. People are not evil, evil is evil.

7. That we have all the time in the world.

No; time passes and waits for no one.

We all have the same 24 hours in a day and the same 365 days in a year. We do not know how long we will be here, but time will pass no matter what, and we better move accordingly.

8. That life happens to us.

No; life is what you make it and you have way more control than you think.

The sooner you realize that you are the main character in your life, the sooner you will start making things happen for yourself. No one will carry you indefinitely, choose your path and take the reigns.

9. That parents are just parents.

No; parents are people who existed long before they had children. They had dreams, experiences, traumas, careers. They hurt and they are scared. They make mistakes and they are wrong sometimes. They are not superheroes, they are humans, just like everyone else.

10. That culture reflects what I should want.

No; culture is culture, and if it does not fit your desires and needs, you do not have to adhere to it. What is trendy is not always good, what is shown is not always complete, and what is claimed is not always true. Critical thinking and ‘noise blocking’ will do you good.

So, what do you think of these 10 beliefs?

Let me know below what yours were , and share this with the 20-something year olds in your life!