Most people hit physical maturity around age 25. Emotional maturity? Well, that's a whole other ball game. Some people might go their entire lives without ever fully growing up. By 25, you've absorbed your culture, learned languages, and been bombarded with countless "truths." Your mom probably drilled into your head that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, or that you'll catch a cold if you go outside with wet hair. And who can forget the classic, "Masturbation will make you blind"?
Think of these beliefs as physical objects and your brain as a house. By 25, this house is a cluttered mess, filled with stuff you didn't necessarily choose. It's possible you haven’t had an original thought because every piece of mental furniture was placed by someone else.
Take life's expected path, for example. From an early age, you're taught to finish school, go to university, get a job, buy a car, meet a girl, buy a house, start a family, take vacations twice a year, retire when your company tells you to, and then hope you’ve saved enough to enjoy your "golden years" as you wait for the sweet release of death. By 25, these life plans are neatly boxed and arranged on your mental shelves.
But what if this cookie-cutter life isn’t for you? What if, instead of living the life society and your family want, you crave an authentic and genuine existence? Maybe you don’t want to go to university. Maybe you want to travel the world, become a digital nomad, and blog about your insatiable curiosity. You don’t want to get married but prefer sharing your life with a series of fascinating women, moving from one adventure to the next.
You want to unpack that mental house cluttered with junk. Toss out the box from your math teacher who said you’d never amount to much. Dump the stethoscope your father gave you, trying to pressure you into the family tradition of becoming a doctor. Burn the trophy your mom gave you for being the perfect son, trapping you in a role where you could never complain or show weakness.
What keeps people from decluttering their minds and leading authentic lives? Fear of what others will think. Fear of not living up to parental expectations for grandchildren. Pressure to keep up with friends who want you to barbecue once a month and go skiing in Vail so your kids can bond.
We do many things because we're told they'll make us happy. It's like the story of the Mexican fisherman and the American tourist. The tourist finds the fisherman on the beach and asks about his day. The fisherman says he fishes in the morning, catches enough for his family, and spends the afternoon and evening with them.
The American suggests taking a loan to buy more boats and hire more fishermen. Why? So he can grow his operation. Why? To open a canning factory. Why? To commercialize and sell overseas. Why? To make lots of money. Why? So one day, he can do what he truly loves. The American asks what that is. The fisherman says he loves fishing in the morning and spending time with his family in the afternoon.
I think you get the point. Why complicate things when you can live your authentic life right now?
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