A letter to my earlier 20s self

Dear Kyndal,

Man. Spend this time relaxing. Do not allow anyone’s pressure even your own to impact the way that you move through life. Do not allow the pressure of “knowing yourself definitively” or fitting into a career define you. You were never what you did. Never will be. I think after graduating college, there’s this little floundering season, but I encourage you instead of fighting the water, just let it take you. Go with the flow, let life take you where it will.

I just listened to a podcast entitled, “Rest & Work: Identifying Priorities” with Emma Mae and Jordan Lee Dooley, and boy. Jordan advised people in their early 20s to just try things. Stop focusing on what my purpose is or what will I do for the rest of my life (sounds like a ridiculous question when you have no idea what’s coming anyway). Lots of times, you end up doing things here and there, you might not like them all but she talked about how she learned what she was good at, what she wasn’t, what she enjoyed, and so on. These little things often time inform the bigger picture later on.

This is huge for you okay. I am 23 right now. Tomorrow I turn 24 years old. Crazy right?

I am telling you, just try things. Rest and Relax. You will find opportunities but more often they have found me, and I’ve enjoyed them. Do not rush life along to the point where you miss out on the opportunity to love people, your community. Love the odd jobs, don’t get so obsessed with where you need to be that you mess up relationships in the now. It’s important. People travel with you through life.

So enjoy yourself girl. I have to meet one of our best friends at the gym, I’m already about to be late—11:21 AM, supposed to be there at 11:30 AM! (If you can focus on not being late too that’ll be great! Why do we do this? lol)

-Kyndal, 23 years, 364 day version <3