What would you tell your 20-year-old self?
What would you tell your 20-year-old self? I was reading a blog post this morning that challenged me to take a few minutes to look back. Look back and see where I’ve been and how far I have come. I glance back occasionally but don’t really delve into it too much.
Born in 1960 and now I am 60! How did that happen? That 40 years sure was full. So what would I tell my 20-year-old self? I would probably say live with purpose and not so much fear. It’s ok not to have all the answers. I’m not sure if I am unique or if it is common for most 20-year-old girls to be fearful. I had a lot of optimism in some things yet uncertainty about others. I was intense. Trying to be perfect and to parent perfectly. I know now how unrealistic I was.
Turbulent Teens
After a rough time with ups and downs in my teen years (aren’t all teen years like that?) I feel like my 20’s were filled with more purpose. However, I feel I carried so much regret and fear well into my 20’s. Regret for my mistakes regrets for love not shown, selfishness, bad decisions, and bad attitudes that had accompanied my teen years. It would have been better if I could have accepted those things and forgiven myself.
Campaigns Northwest gave me a renewed zeal in my faith and new strength.
As an alumna of Campaigns Northwest, 1979, and 1980 were life-changing years. I knew I wanted to live my life fully planted on Jesus! I was committed to loving God and living for him. Yes, I still had failures and sinkholes to dig myself out of but I absolutely knew where I was going. Marrying a preacher man carried me into that life with full force. It was the perfect fit for my life and 40 years later we are still going strong.
So what would I tell my 20-year-old self? That everything is going to be ok. Life is full of ups and downs and a lot of lessons to be learned. Learn to live with purpose and big love, forgive your mistakes, and move on. Stay focused. God will carry you through whatever comes your way.
Oh, the stories I could tell of my 30’s and being pregnant and nursing babies for almost a full decade. But that is a story for another day.