Expect to evolve as a person - learn from and press into each evolution.
I'm 27. Looking back, I can see myself incrementally change year over year starting from 11 years old. I think sharing details and context on my various evolutions would be too much to write here. Here's a distilled hit list of things I've learned.
Expect evolutions to happen; they're a good thing --- Change is a healthy development of personhood. We change as we see life differently. Our values and motivations adjust (sometimes deeper and sometimes conversely in different directions).
Evolutions can be scary and unstable; be comfortable being uncomfortable --- It takes time to figure out what life throws at us. You might hit stretches where you feel uncomfortable and weak. Press into those stretches. Learn how to be strong in weakness. Figure out how to engage others in vulnerability. Cultivate places of rest. Acknowledge and engage hardship.
I'm 27. Looking back, I can see myself incrementally change year over year starting from 11 years old. I think sharing details and context on my various evolutions would be too much to write here. Here's a distilled hit list of things I've learned.
Expect evolutions to happen; they're a good thing --- Change is a healthy development of personhood. We change as we see life differently. Our values and motivations adjust (sometimes deeper and sometimes conversely in different directions).
Evolutions can be scary and unstable; be comfortable being uncomfortable --- It takes time to figure out what life throws at us. You might hit stretches where you feel uncomfortable and weak. Press into those stretches. Learn how to be strong in weakness. Figure out how to engage others in vulnerability. Cultivate places of rest. Acknowledge and engage hardship.
Learn from each evolution --- As change happens, seek to understand your driving motivations. These change. And they may not be what you expected. Ask questions of yourself. Why did I change? What did I value before and after? Where did I become more nuanced or complex as a person? What did I observe, how did I interpret it, and what was my response?
Surround yourself with others who engage evolution --- We all want community and there are many different forms it. It can be centered around activities, commitments, location, and family. Diversify how and where you find community. Regardless of the context, find people who press into change; it's hard to change alongside stagnant peers. Go deep with people who seek to understand before being understood. Process situations with others while reserving judgment.
Our evolutions may be similar, but they are *unique* --- We're all similar but unique in our own right. Peers may share our values and experiences, but each is unique. Learn from everyone, copy none.
We become what we worship --- We're human, finite, and pursue pleasure. Our lives will be characterized by the things we seek after. Worship that which matters.
Surround yourself with others who engage evolution --- We all want community and there are many different forms it. It can be centered around activities, commitments, location, and family. Diversify how and where you find community. Regardless of the context, find people who press into change; it's hard to change alongside stagnant peers. Go deep with people who seek to understand before being understood. Process situations with others while reserving judgment.
Our evolutions may be similar, but they are *unique* --- We're all similar but unique in our own right. Peers may share our values and experiences, but each is unique. Learn from everyone, copy none.
We become what we worship --- We're human, finite, and pursue pleasure. Our lives will be characterized by the things we seek after. Worship that which matters.