There Is Beauty in “Adulting”

 I was catching up on one of my favorite podcasts, Saved-ish, a couple of months ago. The entire third season of the podcast is focused on aspects of “Adulting.” The season-opening episode titled “Adulting”, discussed adulting and the “woes” that we millennials often associate with growing older. 

There are so many things I could say about such an amazing podcast but I thought it would be best to share what the creators have said to describe their platform. The creators of Saved-ish have this to say about their podcast: 

“Based in Washington, D.C., Saved-ish Podcast is a conversation about being young, Christian, and imperfect. We exist to give listeners a platform to reflect on topics often ignored by the church, capture the energy of young adults in ministry, and break the stigma that our generation is fleeing from God.”

During the episode titled “Adulting”, one of the podcast hosts made a comment that truly stuck with me. Kiana, known on the show as “Ki” said that the “-ing” of adulting means it’s ongoing and it’s something that is going to continue. Processes and journeys are also ongoing. There is no destination for adulting and that means it’s a continuing process. You are continuously going to be an adult. You don’t reach one milestone and say “Hey, I’ve mastered adulting and I am now finished!” Nope. You are in a continuous cycle of growth. 

As a millennial, I have often referred to adulting as this pestering stage of life that I didn’t ask to participate in. Sometimes adulting can be a big pill to swallow, but we have to remember that a lot of benefits and privileges come when you do take that pill. We often joke about getting old and talk about the not so fun things that come along with age but this is the time when we learn the most about ourselves and experience the most in life. Here are some beautiful things that come with getting older. 

You’ve built your resume 

I’m pretty sure that you have applied for a job or two before and been asked to submit your resume to be considered for the position. The more relevant career experiences on your resume the more competitive and ideal you would appear to the employers. Did you ever think that life works the same way, well minus the competitiveness part?

Each year we grow older we are gaining more experiences. Experiences that are teaching you profound lessons and sometimes you are learning from your mistakes. All of those ups and downs are adding to the foundation of your life.  Without work experiences you wouldn’t have a resume. Without life experiences you also wouldn’t be you. Your resume shows how you have grown and made progressions. So embrace the growth. 

You have another chance to get it right

We wouldn’t be living if we didn’t make mistakes and we wouldn’t be learning if we didn’t mess up from time to time. The thing that making mistakes and getting older have in common is this: You have another chance to get it right.

I don’t know how many times I have fallen on my face and messed some stuff up while adulting.

I’ve had moments where I wanted to give up or I thought I had messed up beyond repair. Growing older means you have more time to get it right.  Whether that’s your credit score, your savings account, or your friendships/relationships. You have more time to get it right and make some corrections. 

And having more time is enough to want to make you smile. 2020 has been a year of loss regardless of age. We have seen young, middle-aged, and elderly die. So if you are still kicking and getting ready or have celebrated another birthday, that’s a beautiful thing. 

You have memories and moments to reminiscence on 

If you’re like me you often reflect on the good ol’ days, like college or high school, or youth, or just any time before you had to pay any serious bills. It’s always a good feeling reminiscing with family or friends or just on your own about those great times. If you have great memories, you can now reflect on them when you are having a not so positive adulting moment or a bad day. Those memories will carry you on. As you continue to grow older, you can create new memories to reminisce on. 

You’re beginning to make a name for yourself

As an adult, you are now creating your legacy, your reputation, your name. You are no longer living in your parent’s shadows or the shadows of your childhood. You are in a period of redefining and possibly identifying. You are figuring out your purpose, what makes you tick, and what makes your heart sing. For many of us, that may include no longer trying to live up to other people’s standards, but instead creating and setting our own standards for our lives.

You are becoming. Becoming your true self and that is a beautiful transformation that you can’t experience without growing older. This season of adulting is all about establishing the life you want to live and understanding that you will continuously have to re-evaluate that along the way. 

For instance, my mother is 60 years old and she just took her first solo road trip. Although I wasn’t a fan of this trip, I understood that even though she is 60 years old she is still adulting. She is still on a continuous journey of self-discovery and that road trip was something she needed to do for her regardless of anyone else’s opinion. Adulting and re-evaluating do not stop once you reach a certain age. 

You’re still growing 

If you’re getting older that means you’re still growing right? This also means that you are probably still experiencing and still accomplishing things no matter how big or small. We learn something new every day. If you aren’t growing, you aren’t being challenged and you aren’t learning. Embrace the growth and the challenges that come with it because it will only contribute to you becoming a better you for you. And who doesn’t want to be better? 

Growing older doesn’t only refer to your age. It refers to your maturity as well. We all know that age is only a number and does not depict a person’s maturity. I know I have met some immature individuals who were older than me. So in this season of adulting, I challenge us all to re-evaluate what adulting means to us and how we speak about adulting.

Because it can’t really be that bad to have another shot at life, can it?

We are becoming. We are maturing. We are growing. We are adulting. And that’s all beautiful.