Thoughts on Life in My Mid-20s & Lessons of 2026

Not sure how to begin or put it all into words, but as the title says, this post is a handful of thoughts on life in my mid-20s.

With the year coming to an end, it also feels like a good time to reflect on some of the things I’ve learned over the past year.

But honestly, I was able to write this post because, one Saturday morning in October, I met a truly special and respected man who gave me one of the best conversations I’ve ever had. It inspired me so much that I wanted to write it down, so I could revisit these thoughts later and remind myself of what I don’t want to forget.

I wish I could share the experience with you reading this, but I’m not a good writer. So, I’ll just try to put down a few key points, mostly the things that have stayed with me, in my mind and in my heart. I hope you’ll find something that resonates with you.

1. Know my personality

For a long time, I kept stressing myself out over why I did the things I did. I often felt conflicted and dissatisfied with the way I thought, the way I treated people, and the way I acted, wondering if a good or successful person would do the same. I spent so much time trying to correct myself that, eventually, the effort to become someone better made me feel even more unhappy.

Turns out, the younger me just didn’t know how to embrace who I was. Maybe that had something to do with growing up with bullying and often feeling like I was less favored than others. All I knew back then was how to criticize myself for not being good enough. Even in the simplest, most trivial daily interactions, I would find myself feeling like I had messed up or could have done things better.

I spent years trying to figure out who I was and understand my own personality. But the harder part was learning to accept myself as I was. I say learn to accept because I used to see being sensitive, empathetic, and emotional as weaknesses. I thought these things would only hold me back from success.

The truth, everyone is different. We don’t need to look at others and try to find the same things in ourselves.

I can only truly be myself and feel happy when I make peace with who I am and choose things that genuinely suit me.

2. Give myself time

I’ve spent years trying to understand myself, and I’m still learning something new about who I am every day.

If I could go back in time, I’d spend less time hustling and stressing about getting somewhere, and more time enjoying the journey and figuring things out along the way.

There are still days when I feel stuck, like no matter how hard I try, I just can’t seem to get there. But I remind myself to give it a little more time. Six months, nine months, even a whole year. If I can’t be patient with myself, who will?

3. Stop feeling bad

Even when I understand all of this and try to be patient with myself, sometimes I still can’t help feeling bad. I get overly emotional, withdraw from people, and isolate myself. Sometimes, I even need to cry my heart out.

But at the end of the day, everything is temporary. Maybe feelings are the only things that linger a little longer than they should.

So I remind myself nothing in this world is worth losing sleep over. We don’t have to suffer for things to get better, and we don’t have to feel bad for things to eventually turn out okay.

4. It’s my own battle

Life is so private. We never really know what someone else is going through, and honestly, I’m not someone who easily talks about how I feel.

Some battles are mine to face, and I need to work through them on my own.

There’s something deeply reassuring about knowing I can stand on my own two feet.

Figuring things out and finding my own way through difficult times give me a sense of satisfaction and motivate me to keep going.

5. This is a lonely world

One of the best skills I’ve learnt this year is to be be alone and enjoy things on my own.

I used to be happiest and most energetic when I was around people. But when I was alone, I’d often feel low and lost.

Over the past year, I’ve been to the ER alone, spent more time in bed than ever, and endured painful nights on my own. I’ve also gone to doctor’s appointments alone, worked through my PT sessions alone, and taken my weekly walks alone. I’ve been fighting my own emotions and battling so many things silently, all on my own.

Somewhere along the way, I realized what a privilege it is to still be able to do all these things by myself. What if I couldn’t even walk on my own? What if I had to depend on someone else just to do the simplest things?

It made me see independence in a whole new light. There’s such a beautiful sense of freedom in being able to go where you want, do what you want, and enjoy life without having to depend on anyone or feel attached to anyone else. And honestly, I’m starting to love that feeling more than ever.

I’m even planning to experience life in a different place, somewhere I would’ve never considered before and probably would’ve immediately said no to. The thought of things not turning out as expected doesn’t hold me back now. Just being willing to take that leap and experience something new on my own already feels special.

Of course, there are still plenty of lonely moments. Especially when I’m out admiring the world while still trying to put myself back together, quietly hoping that one day, I’ll feel fulfilled with the life I’ve built.

But somehow, there’s beauty in it, too. Maybe that’s what the art of being alone really is: Not about never feeling lonely, but learning that even on my own, I can still live a full and beautiful life.

There’s still so much of life I want to experience, and I’m slowly becoming someone who’s no longer afraid to experience it alone.

6. Growing my interests

Besides learning to be alone, another thing I’ve really enjoyed this year is picking up more interests of my own.

I haven’t necessarily started doing a lot of new things, but I’ve finally started making time for things I’ve always wanted to do, instead of putting them off until work is out of the way.

Work needs to get done, of course, but I’m learning that there’s time for different things. I don’t have to put everything else on hold just to get work done. I can give each thing its own time and learn to enjoy it without feeling like I should be doing something else.

Time for reading, time for walking, time for writing… It feels so good to slowly build something of my own, something that belongs to me and that no one can take away.

7. Habits are everything

Habits and routines are the best support system.

I used to struggle with building a good routine. I did things based on motivation and the results I wanted, rather than discipline and consistency.

This year, I’ve learned the power of habits, routines, and trusting the process.

It’s about taking baby steps and making small adjustments to my everyday life, rather than trying to change everything overnight.

It’s about showing up consistently, staying committed to my goals, and trusting that small steps will eventually take me where I want to be.

8. Be humble

I used to have this toxic trait that I only recently realized was a form of arrogance: Believing I could do everything on my own and achieve whatever I wanted as long as I put in the work.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying we shouldn’t try our best to go after what we want. But I’m learning that things don’t always go our way, no matter how hard we try.

And sometimes, we need to let other people be there for us. Not to take advantage of them, but to accept their support when we need it and feel genuinely grateful for the help they give us.

I guess part of growing up is realizing that being independent doesn’t mean having to do everything alone. Sometimes, it’s also about knowing when to lean on others and being humble enough to accept that we can’t do it all by ourselves.

9. Stay connected

Happiness means so much more when we have someone to share it with, and pain feels a little less heavy when we have the love and support of others.

As much as it hurts to accept that some people have to leave our lives, I’ve learned to let them go and focus on the people who are still here.

I’ve come to realize just how much human connection means to me, and how important it is to cherish and appreciate the people who are still here, choosing to be part of my life.

10. The purpose of life is to experience

I used to think about death a lot. Not because I wanted to die, but because I wanted to understand: If everything is born to die, then what’s the purpose of living? And what does it mean to live well?

And I think I’m beginning to find the answer.

To live is to experience. The good and the bad, the highs and the lows, the abundance and the lack. To experience the full spectrum of what life has to offer.

Perhaps the most fulfilling life is one in which we get to experience all of it and become wise enough to understand that none of it is permanent. Nothing lasts forever. To gain something, we must accept the possibility of losing it, too.

To live is to experience, and to experience is to be present.

Presence is perhaps the truest form of freedom. When we are truly present, we are no longer held back by the past or trapped in the illusion of the future. We can simply be here, experiencing life as it unfolds, without constantly wishing things were different or waiting for something else to happen.

So perhaps the purpose of living isn’t to get somewhere, become someone, or hold on to anything forever. Perhaps it’s simply to be here, to experience it all, and to understand that the privilege of being alive is getting to experience any of it in the first place.

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So, those are the 10 lessons I’ve learned this year. They might sound a little too theoretical, but these are things I’ve come to believe through my own experiences and reflections.

Of course, understanding these lessons doesn’t mean I can always live by them, or that I’ve figured out how to live well and be at peace with everything. In reality, I still struggle with a lot of these things, and life continues to challenge me in ways I don’t always know how to handle.

But perhaps that’s part of the journey, too. Knowing what I want to live by doesn’t mean I’ll always get it right. It just means that, whenever I lose my way, I have something to come back to.

I guess, for now, that’s enough. Thanks for reading till the end.