It's ironic I have chosen Maturity for May. Mostly because I'm shortly turning 26 which hasn't been an easy one for me to digest but also as I often find myself torn between trying to act like the responsible adult I'm trying to be and fighting the urge to be that carefree child with not a care in the world. I can hear you saying the word balance, gotcha, but I'm still working on that one as I climb this never-ending ladder.
I recently had a meeting in which I was told that sometimes missing skills are reached by hard work and others simply come with growing up. That same person told me last year that if one continuously runs around wasting their energy, giving it out to everyone instead of using it to improve themselves, one will not grow. Growing up has always been something that seemed scary to me.
Houses, marriage, babies, responsibility have always felt difficult when I'm still struggling to be organised and get to the middle of my ladder, but maturity and growing up isn't just about that. I'm discovering it's about learning how to deal with and handle things that sometimes get thrown at you, or that you might find extremely difficult. Growing old is mandatory but growing up is optional and it’s something I want to do well as I climb.
It stands to reason that the older you get the more you experiences you encounter. It continues to astound me that youth can be its own worst enemy. People my age seem to spend copious amounts of time feeling worried/insecure about themselves and their future - the irony being that when people get to middle age, they seem to be so comfortable in their own skin, they couldn't care less what people think.
Although your comfort zone is a beautiful place, nothing ever grows there. Growing and maturing is about dreaming as big as you can, but also remembering that life is not a Disney film and that reality will make it difficult along the way. I once read "don't pray for an easy life, pray the strength to endure a difficult one." I'm not sure I want a difficult life, but I think difficult things might aid in helping you grow up, if that makes any sense at all.
I've found that growing up means being honest about what you want, whether that's at work or in life. To be successful you need to have a real understanding of yourself and your selling points. Remind yourself to ask questions and be curious - it's engaging and assertive and people that want to help you grow will.
Milly Summer
Milly Summer (25) is assistant to Michael Garrett at leading London talent agency Global Artists.
Global Artists website: www.globalartists.co.uk
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