Everyone knows your 20s will be messy. They're the years of figuring out how life works, and they don't exactly come with a manual.
You will find some ways to survive and make good decisions, but more often than not, you will fail and feel the pain of those rejections, broken hearts and separations.
But, relax.
Humans were designed to face stressful events and get over those feelings of distress.
So, here are six signs you came out as a winner, even though your life is a mess:
1. You feel so lost, but calm at the same time.
In our 20s, most of us don't know what to do with our lives.
Maybe you haven't decided your on career, or you haven't found "the one."
At first, you might feel worried about your future, but in the meantime, you're familiar with your own confusion instead of stressed out.
You start to realize that being lost is a part of life, and you know you'll figure everything out in time.
You have that strong belief about the universe that everything will work out, no matter what happens.
2. You confront failures with an open heart.
For you, failures are no longer something major because you've gotten used to them.
You still have disappointment after rejections, but it doesn't take long for you to feel all right again.
You learn a lot from your failures. You know the mistakes you've made, you've made some plans to fix them and you've promised yourself that you won't make the same mistakes again.
For you, failures are the sign of starting over.
3. You realize too much expectation can destroy you.
Life drags you down a million times, and you realize expectation is the key to control your disappointment.
Your motto is more hard work, less expectation.
This also applies to your love life. You know the signs, and you can always tell whether he's into you or he's just another fuckboy.
And yes, you play it safe in every deep relationship you have.
4. Letting go is not a new lesson for you.
You're no longer surprised by separations.
You fully understand most of the people you meet in your 20s are temporary, and you know a goodbye will be followed by a new hello.
Instead of mourning the ones who get away, you are excited to meet some new people and to experience new things.
Day by day, you learn to live with the pain of a broken heart. You understand that moving on takes time, and you're OK with that.
5. You don't compare yourself to others.
Despite all the struggles and painful events in your life, somehow you don't want to live somebody else's life.
You know that every single person has their own problems, and no one in this world has the perfect life.
At the same time, you'll feel proud of yourself for going this far. You have many scars on your heart, but you learn to love and live with it.
You don't hold the "grass is greener" mentality because you know your life is multicolored already.
6. You still have time to travel or do the things that make you happy.
In the middle of those stressful moments, somehow you still manage to enjoy life by doing the things you love, such as traveling, writing, playing music, singing or anything else that relieves stress.
For you, quality time with yourself is a must, and you really value a work-life balance. It's all about work hard, play hard.
Overall, you're able to "bounce back" after life brings you down to your knees.
All you need is a strong faith in the universe, and you have to believe there is always something good in everything.
Anyone can be a master of their own life, including you.
This article was originally published on Unwritten.
