Life; it goes on

Author

Yukta Parikh
June 14, 2024

I’m 24, and I feel like life has just begun. I finally know how I like my coffee (super sweet), what wine I like to drink (sweet reds only), what colors look good on me (blue, pink, purple), how I like to get my hair cut (subtle layers with face-framing, never too long), and who I hope to be (kind and real). I finally know who I am. Only took 24 years.

Not sure if I’m at the beginning of my quarter-life crisis but I’ve been thinking a lot about life and my role within it. Mostly in a positive frame, but that little voice also creeps in. What I’ve been thinking about the most is that life is meant to be lived and that time will pass anyway. Life will keep on going. It won’t stop for a silly mistake or even for a moment. Life; it goes on. 

Life is meant to be lived 

I saw a post once of a woman changing the type of straw she uses because straws can give people wrinkles around their mouths. It scared me, but not because I’m scared of wrinkles. But because everyone is so afraid of living. 

Another post was about when a woman should consider getting preventative Botox. What are we so focused on preventing? Experiencing life as it is meant to be? I hope to never fall into the trap of thinking that I need to prevent my life. Prevent myself from the normal human function of getting older. 

Aging is a privilege not many get to reach. How many people do you know that live until 100? Not many. I want to live a full, healthy, and long life. But I don’t want to be half of a person when I get there.

I’ve considered the changes. Thought about a nose job, waxing my arm hair, botox in my forehead, highlights in my hair, and changing my very essence to fit an image of a woman that doesn’t exist. But then I wouldn’t be me. 

My nose comes from a long line of women with the very same nose. So does my hair, and my eyes, and my skin. Features my future daughter may have one day. I am honored to wear my history so visibly on my body. We all should be. 

Living life means accepting yourself fully, perceived flaws and all. We are meant to be imperfect, we live in an imperfect world. The very world that makes women believe we must change to fit it. But we don’t. We can live as we are. 

Time will pass anyway

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway" - Earl Nightingale

I read a piece of advice somewhere that said the time will pass anyway. And it jolted me out of a trance. The time will pass anyway, so how will I spend it? I don’t want to wake up 5 years from now and be the same and unchanged. So why am I scrolling my life away?

So I’m in grad school because the time will pass anyway. I’m trying new hobbies because the time will pass anyway. I’m going on walks because the time will pass anyway. I don’t want to wake up one day and regret not living my life to its fullest. 

At 16, I was burned out. Told myself I just needed to get through the week, but that wasn’t it. I felt anxious and like I couldn’t breathe my entire junior year of high school. I thought what I was feeling was endless like I would always feel like I couldn’t catch a break. 

But I was wrong because the time passed and so did those feelings. 

I wasted so much time wishing I was better, wishing I was someone else, and shaming myself for who I was. I don’t want any more years to pass where I’m still wishing I was someone else. Why should I? If the time will pass anyway, I want it to be filled with happiness, joy, and fun. 

Currently Consuming

Reading

  • FUNNY STORY BY EMILY HENRY

    • My brief thoughts: It was wonderful and in typical Emily Henry fashion, more than just a romance novel. She writes real characters that I can always see myself in. 5 star read for me! Cried, giggled, and kicked my feet!!

Watching

  • Desperate Housewives on Hulu

  • Bridgerton Season 3 Part 2!!!!

Listening

See ya! 

Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you next week!

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