As I continue to grow and mature, I've come to face multiple disadvantages and struggles. I've been the subject of harassment and stereotypes. At first, the immature attitude of the society around me felt like a weight I would hold on my shoulders forever. As I continue to develop my spot in a mature reality, however, the silly immature jokes begin to mean less and less.
In light of that realization, here are five tips to cleanse yourself of negativity and develop a mature lifestyle.
1. Social media is not relevant.
If you want to post a picture, post it. If you don’t want to, don’t. It’s truly a simple concept. The number of likes you get does not reflect how much fun you had with your friends or your self-worth. Similarly, is it worth it to spend so much time worrying about whether or not you look good in a picture to the extent that you don’t have fun with your friends to begin with? All the time, I walk into restaurants and see everyone looking down at their phone. Then, one person suggests to take a picture and they all go from sitting there in silence to fake laughing capturing a “fun and flirty” moment that actually didn’t happen at all. Social media has become a way for people to try and show off the life that they don’t necessarily have and for that reason has become inherently irrelevant in the real world. So, stop putting so much thought into it.
2. Learn how to understand the news.
The news is important, it’s called “news” for a reason. Start looking at news outlets and find one that you enjoy reading. You may choose a mobile app or you may enjoy reading it in print. Either way, it’s essential to begin keeping up with worldly events in order for you to develop logical and accurate political and economic opinions. I also encourage you to look at opposing news sites. Often, the news is presented with a bias. Try to find a news channel that opposes your beliefs and read their news, too. This way, you can remain an informed citizen and understand why you believe what you do and why you don’t believe what you don’t.
3. Think about where you will be in five years.
Will you still be in school? Will you be a graduate? Consider how you will intend to look for a career after graduation or begin looking for plans to pay off any loans you have. Will you be in a relationship? Will this relationship effect your five year plan? Whatever your case may be, avoiding real life is incredibly detrimental to succeeding. Just because you’re still in college now doesn’t mean you will be next year. Then what? Will you know how to pay taxes or pay your own bills? Make a list of scenarios you may encounter and plan for them.
4. Think twice.
Think twice about everything. Think twice about what you say, how you say it, and why you’re saying it to begin with. Then, apply that rule to everything you do. As graduation comes closer, maturity becomes more crucial. Now is the time to stop saying petty things that harm your credibility. Amazing things happen when you take a two second pause before acting or speaking.
5. Grow up.
Last and most importantly, put your money where your mouth is and as Shia Labeouf says, “JUST DO IT!” Seriously, grow up. Stop making assumptions and start seeking facts. Attempt to solve a problem on your own before calling someone for help. Gain independence. Go to the store on your own sometimes, or learn how to go to a restaurant and eat by yourself. Make an effort to be friendly to anyone and everyone, enough of the “he/she said this about me once, and I hate her/him.” It’s ridiculous. Don’t hate block/follow people on social media. I recently discovered that this was even a thing that people do, and I couldn’t help but laugh. Come on, people. The real world is begging for you to join it. You can’t simply “block” people in real life so get off your high horse and bite the bullet. Be nice and kill them with kindness instead. It’s mature.
Welcome to real life, friends. Let’s get to it and make this the latest trend. We’ll call it: maturing.
