Adulthood should be defined as the very title all millennials want yet don't know how to truly obtain. We feel like adults since we're at a certain age where we can't rely on people anymore, but being one isn't just determined by a mindset or even our age; it's determined by how we take charge of our life, and how we use that power to make the best out of it.
Being a young adult certainly come with many challenges to overlook with factors like peer pressure, society's standards, feeling the need to "fit in," and having crazy thoughts from our energetic, but not always logical, young minds. However, we can't let our overwhelmed and unsure instincts obscure what we should actually be focusing on as young people -- taking charge of our fragile, yet opportunity-filled young lives, no matter what it takes. Below are 10 phrases everyone should read if they hope to take better control their life, and ultimately shape their future.
1. "To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often." -- Winston Churchill
Change is essential to growing up; it's a part of life we face when we go towards our goals, no matter what they are. The difference between a young adult and an adult is that the adult learns from their mistakes while constantly improving themselves in spite of bad decisions they have made while the young adult continues to make the same mistakes, and very poor ones at that, without learning from them. When we're confident to realize that we need to constantly improve ourselves to adapt to new circumstances in our life, we will grow into a much stronger and happier person as a result.
2. "Your brain shall be your servant instead of your master, You will rule it instead of allowing it to rule you." -- Charles E. Popplestone
We should focus on the fact that certain choices we think of aren't always good -- especially when we're young. Our brains are a powerful thing, influenced by good and bad things, and confused by many aspects of today's society. Our brain may guide us onto the right path, with the right ethics and control, or it can lead us to trouble and delay the path towards our goals.
3. "Good habits formed at youth make all the difference." -- Aristotle
Being young, it's common for some people to want to goof around, thinking we don't have much at stake, but while we're young we should really be making decisions that shape our future, rather than create risks for our future selves.
4. “Man must cease attributing his problems to his environment, and learn again to exercise his will – his personal responsibility.” -- Albert Einstein
We may not be able to control the circumstances of our lives, but we can control our perspective on them and make the best out of our environment. Successful people don't let aspects they can't change alter their chance of leading a responsible life, nor do they let themselves be influenced by any negative factors they come to face.
5. “Make the best use of what is in your power, and take the rest as it happens.” -- Epictetus Maybe
Our decisions can greatly influence where we end up, but life remains unpredictable, no matter how in control we are of ourselves. However, the sooner we assume responsibility for our lives, the easier it will be to face the unexpected factors. Sometimes, those uncontrollable parts are not so easy to make the best out of, but if we really want our life in order, we have to embrace them.
6. "Power can be taken, but not given. The process of the taking is empowerment in itself." -- Gloria Steinem
Feeling incapable of changing our life can stem from expecting good things to come to us. While we may feel as though certain factors we obtain glorify us, it's really us that need to undermine the manifesting perspectives of what is true power, and what is perceived to be power. A true leader is not a leader until they rule themselves first.
7. “In the middle of a difficulty lies opportunity.” -- Albert Einstein
It takes hard work to realize how capable we are, but most of us don't realize our potential early enough. Don't feel let down if you're struggling with something, and instead, take a challenge as an opportunity to deal with one in a more positive or beneficial way. Many college-aged people turn to poor choices in order to deal with difficulties, but in turn, those decisions will only make everything worse. We have the option to grow from hard times in our lives, and when we can do that is when we have truly taken control.
8. "You only have to do a very few things right in your life so long as you don't do too many things wrong." -- Warren Buffett
There's two types of failure; failure from making poor choices, and failure from trying to succeed. The only failure we should experience is that when we are trying to find success.Certain mistakes can mess up everything we've worked for, or lengthen the progress towards our goals. It isn't easy to avoid making common everyday mistakes, but it isn't hard to realize what's risky and should not be done at all.
9. "In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility." -- Eleanor Roosevelt
We cannot rely on people to fulfill our life goals, or expect things to just happen. We also have to take responsibility for our actions and cannot blame others in our lives. It takes a strong-minded person to accept that we have to own up to everything in our life.
10. "You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of." -- Jim Rohn
Millennials want to be adults while many of them try to run away from their responsibilities at the same time, as if they don't truly want to be an adult. Whether it's homework, solving problems in our lives, forgiving others, or making the best out of everything; we have responsibilities to handle, and it's up to us to decide if we want to live an easy life or a hard one. A better life arises from empowerment, and moreover, when we can own up to everything and accept the challenges in our life that we have to face.
I hope from these quotes, people can recognize what they need to do if, in the process of becoming an adult, they feel either powerless, dependent, poorly influenced, or don't know where to begin in order to have full control over their life and grow into a stronger person.