10 Non-Negotiable Things To Do To Make Your Twenties The Years You Won’t Forget
Do something you’re afraid of doing. Conquering a fear can be one of the most liberating things in the world.
By 
Nikita Gill
1. Travel alone. Take some time to visit a place you have never been to before. A place where the culture is entirely different to what you expect. Experience different food, new people, new ideas. When you return, you’ll find yourself invigorated with a new purpose due to all the wonderful new perspectives you have gained.
2. Stop worrying about the toxic people from your life. I’m talking about the people who actively choose to ignore you or avoid you for no reason. I’m talking about the people who actively choose to not clear the air, but happily say terrible things behind your back. You will not grow worrying about what you have done wrong by them and sometimes, even the nicest people can turn out to be judgemental and toxic. Take them out of your life, and stop worrying. You don’t need that in your life. If you’re connected with them socially, be civil, but don’t go out of your way for them. They aren’t worth it.
3. Make grateful a habit. You’ve had an awful day. Hell, we all have them every now and then. You need a break from life in general. You just went through an awful breakup. You lost your job. Just remember, there is always something to make you happy right there in your life. Make this sentence a habit: “I’ve had a bad day, but I have a friend I can talk to.” Or “I broke up with my boyfriend but I have a loving and supportive family to turn to.” The ‘but’ portion of that sentence can make all the difference to your life.
4. Do something you’re afraid of doing. Conquering a fear can be one of the most liberating things in the world. I had a fear of snakes. Visiting the reptile house of any zoo or any animal centric place was a massive no from me always. One day I started visiting them. Eventually I was able to conquer that fear of snakes completely, and not feel terrified at the very thought of them. The very fact that you can conquer a fear will make you feel invincible and gain a whole new perspective on your life.
5. Understand that life is going to be unfair. Someone once told me that you have got to understand that life is unfair, anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to sell you something. And it’s true. Terrible things can happen sometimes with no warning, no precursor, no reason whatsoever. The problem is, you have to accept it and try not to make yourself bitter about it. The world is going to be cruel. But you have to rise above it, make the best of a bad situation and keep soldiering forward.
6. Be kind for absolutely no reason. There is no better thing in life than being kind. People need help all the time, just be kind for absolutely no reason. Help someone who needs it. It costs absolutely nothing but a few minutes of your time and both you and the person you have helped feel amazing. Being a bright, happy, kind person will always somehow improve your day, no matter how awful you are feeling.
7. Surround yourself with positive people. The key to growth is surrounding yourself with people who will help you grow and be better as a human being. So surround yourself with people who are kind, people who laugh, people who can listen without judging others. You need that in your life now more than ever. It’ll help you grow and develop into a positive person who flourishes.
8. Be unapologetically yourself. There comes a time in everyone’s life where they stop wanting to be the person everyone likes and starts looking for people they like instead. You aren’t going to be liked by everyone. So why waste any more of your time pretending to be anyone else. Just be yourself. And those who do not like you were not your real friends anyway. You don’t need them in your life. Keep those who accept you as you are close. And be true to yourself.
9. Read. Books, articles, anything you can get your hands on, read it and grow and become better as a human being. Reading gives you a kind of perspective on yourself, it helps you build a stronger bank of information and there is nothing that helps you grow better than understanding yourself through the medium of words. Knowledge is a wonderful thing to have at any age and reading is the best way to gain it.
10. Learn how to be perfectly content in your own company. Being alone can be a wonderful experience. Whereas being lonely is not. Identify the difference between the two and fall in love with the idea of being alone. Enjoy having time to yourself. Go for walks, take photos, take up a hobby. Do something that makes you enjoy your own company and realise what a beautiful person you are to spend time with. After all, there is nothing better than loving yourself. It is by loving yourself that you teach others how to care about you. 
