23 Reasons to Live Whilst Young

When our parents were our age, they came to a cross roads in their lives. The intelligent ones who wanted to pursue a 'professionalism' went to University, the rest moved out got a job and worked their way up, or alternatively, they settled down into family life. 

Our cross roads have plenty more than 3 paths to take. We can still go to university, we can still settle down, we can still start at the bottom and work up. But now the options are wider, go travelling, become an apprentice or an intern... stay at home as long as you can and feed off your parents, fall into the same patterns as everybody else. And whilst everyone is so busy making life decisions and trying to find out what they want to be, people are forgetting to live. As a girl who has spent her past 4 months living in onesies through the winter months, neglecting all social interactions and spending more money on Love Film than on wild nights out, I can completely vouch for this half of society. 

The reasons I below are for everybody. (Cue motivational music) They are for our generation who are finding it so easy to slip into ordinary life styles and every day jobs and forgetting that we are young, we are able and we should completely grasp this with both hands. Because on our death beds we aren't going to regret what we did do, we will regret what we didn't.

1) You can go on a girls or boys holiday anywhere whilst you aren't tied down, have no commitments or inhibitions and if you do have inhibitions, forget them.

2) You can kiss someone you think is out of your league... kiss models and medicine students and high flying entrepreneurs with houses in the South of France and don't worry about if they're going to call you afterward. 

3) You can be a mentor to someone, anyone, of any age and when they succeed, feel proud because you helped them. Go you.

4) You can suck it up and buy that Macbook Pro/Jimmy Choos/Bronze statue whilst you don't have someone breathing down your neck and judging you on every penny you spend.

5) You can leave the country with the premise to 'Find Yourself' and come back the exact same, without people labeling it as a midlife crisis.

6) Get in shape. My mum always says there comes a time where you have to pick between your face and your ass. So pick both whilst you still can. 

7) Find your own style and embrace it because later on people are going to expect you to start wearing calf length skirts and ties that are only one color.

8) Hate your job? Quit it. You have time to find another one. 

9) Find your 'friends' aren't so friendly? Ditch them. You have time to make more.

10) Realised your relationship doesn't bring out the best in each other? Break up. It's easier when there's no paper work. 

11) If you want to go to University then go. If you think it's expensive now, wait until you're 25 and are getting no help from the Government people. 

12) You can go into a club and dance like nobody is watching, and nobody will judge you or think you're a bit too old for that. Everyone will just think you've been on the vino too long. 

13) You are allowed to eat a whole tub of Ben and Jerry's just because you can. And again, and again and again.

14) You can develop interests in eccentric hobbies, or learn a new instrument and it doesn't matter if you're sh*t because people will always figure you'll 'just grow out of it'. 

15) You can make a batch of cupcakes every day of the week and people will think it's cute. Not that you're a crazy old lady who probably owns a lot of cats. 

16) Take the chance now to dye your hair any color you like, because when you get older, the only acceptable colors are blonde, brunette, ginger or grey.

17) No paper work. 

18) You can go on reality shows without people at home thinking 'What would her children think'

19) You can spend too much money and promise yourself you will save next time. Because the beauty is that there will be a next time.

20) There is still time to identify your fears and stop letting them dictate your every move. Think of all the places you could visit if you conquered your phobia of flying now, rather than in 20 years time. 

21) You can get that tattoo or piercing. When you have a wife or husband, you can guarantee decisions like that will not be made alone. So do it for you. Now. 

22) Late nights or late mornings or both. With nothing and no one to get up or go to bed for. 

23) You need to learn to take care of yourself, before you can take care of someone else just yet.

I have no idea what I want to do or who I want to become. But I do know that I don't want to settle down into a routine 9-5 life when I'm only 18, or only 21. Settling down when you're young does work for some, the kids, the husband or wife to come home to every night. But the reality is, in the UK right now, settling down is not always going to work in your favor and if you're 22 and not dying, then that fantasy won't be any less fantastic if you give it 3 or 4 years. People often have a dream job in mind, something they'd love to do, the person they'd love to be. But you're not going to get there without hard work and without some lessons in life. And if you can, then you need to dream bigger. Why would I spend this time making do with the life around me, when I can go out explore and find a life that I want, not that I've just settled for. 

Food for thought my lovely readers.

Ciao for Now x