A manual for surving your twenties!
Hey folks, before we begin let’s make one thing clear; this manual is not written on stone and certainly not in blood (Eighties-Hindi film style). It’s a rough paradigm every twenty something should apply to their lives. So, stop assuming you know it all and have everything figured to the T. I mean we’ve all heard of the cliché, life doesn’t go according to plans. Life happens .So yeah!
1) Stop thinking you are SPECIAL
And I mean it. The problem with our generation is that every twenty something has been told that they have that ‘extra’ something, that ‘zing’ thing going for them. That, all along we’ve been carrying this special elixir and hoping someone miraculously discovers it and puts it on the map. I know we all have that one group of friends who tell us that they seriously ‘believeeeee’ in us and that we ‘had it’ all along but every now and then we must get that ubiquitous reality check and tell ourselves, ‘Oh well! I’m actually quite like the rest of the pack.’ Of course, you are special but you gotta work it. In this day and age when everyone is trying to be someone, you gotta be a super specialist at what you do. So, if you love something passionately, narrow down your preferences and hone your talents towards one specific area. That’ll turn you to a super specialist.
2) Be a Jack or Jill of five trades and master of three.
Yep! Times have changed. We don’t live in the Seventies where we worked one job all our lives and waited for measly pensions in our twilight years. Jobs have become multi-dimensional today. You can pursue three different activities within the same framework. So, say if you’re in event management, you can moonlight as a PR agent, hostess, manager, compere and even handle client portfolio all at once. Besides everyone today can have three different careers in their life. So, if you started as an IT professional you can transition to sports management or open a startup about reviving some lost forgotten tribal art. Basically, keeping your passion with you and allowing your multifarious talents to take over.
3) Jump courses in your twenties
It’s okay to try out different course in your twenties. Unless you try three different things you’ll never really know what exactly you’re passionate about. I for one did a diploma in Media studies and then jumped to Animation eventually doing a Masters in Creative Writing and that’s when I realized that ‘Writing is what I’m good at’ and why not stick it out for the next ten fifteen years. Also, if possible and affordable apply for that dream course in a foreign university. Studying overseas definitely expands the worldview and changes the way you look at the world. It forces you think out of the box and makes you more multicultural, multitalented and multinational. I for one would like to believe I’m more humane today; more tolerant of cultures, people and countries.
4) Date as many people as possible
By twenty five, you must have a couple of serious relationships besides having a string of short term affairs. It’s important to navigate the world of dating with aplomb and experiment with interesting species the world has to offer. I’m not saying go all out and maintain scoreboards but yes, do date the regular prototypes (mentioned in chapter 16) arriving in various capacities. By twenty eight you should be in a position to say I’m kinda attracted to this type because by then you’ll definitely (hopefully) have figured the TYPE!
5) Don’t tell your parents EVERY DAMN THING
Yes, that’s a huge one. Like, seriously, did our parents tell us everything about their college days. Do they still divulge uncomfortable details about their relationship and their work life? No, and even if they do it’s often lacquered with frosty vanilla coating and sometimes super hot chili sauce. So, while it’s important to keep the gates of communication open and have an open dialogue, there’s no need to spill every single detail of your life. While parents accept honesty and integrity from their kids, I’m sure they’ll respect you more if you maintain discretion as well. This creates a healthy equation and bridges the so called generational gap. I know we’ve all heard the adage that parents are our friends and we should keep the lines open but we also know that when things go wrong, the same information is used as arsenal against us. I mean unless you’re shooting heroin or dropping acid every week I see no harm in maintaining a more ‘private’ existence.
6) It’s okay to be NON-listed
Here’s a confession I have. Ever since the dawn of national entrance tests /exams where under dark gloomy ceilings one scribbled and scrawled on their multiple choice questionnaires; these tests apparently judged our Math, Physics, General knowledge and sometimes even artistic skills, well, here it is. I never made it to any ‘selection’ list of any top entrance exam in the country and forget top exams; I never made it to any list for that matter. So here’s the blatant truth. You don’t need to prove your mettle by writing exams and by being on some Godforsaken list. Instead, create your ideas and list them down. That’s the best list you’re ever gonna have and you’ll be totally proud of them someday.
7) Make that first Solo trip
I know everyone these days does it in their late teens but for most of us that first solo trip happens only in our twenties. By solo trip, I’m not just talking about travelling to a new place. It’s really about trying something new, exciting and maybe even a bit daunting. Something that irks us or even makes us wee bit uncomfortable. Say, for instance if you haven’t learned swimming, driving or paragliding, it’s really the time to do it now. As we get older the fears deepen and then maybe it’s too late to plunge as we might have the way but have simply lost the will. So, if you haven’t done that sky diving gig or even something as simple as speaking in public, the twenties are the time to totally do it.
8) The Twenties are a rehearsal for the Thirties
As we’ve all heard a million times that the thirties are the new twenties, so I duly believe that the twenties can actually be a training ground and rehearsal stage for the grand thirties when you’ll be so ‘with it’ and over the top. Since all the ‘trying out the different outfits’ would have transpired in the twenties, the thirties would be the grand opening when you’ll be dressed in that exclusive tailor made original prom queen gown. More over with all the broken hearts long left behind the thirties will offer you the space to conduct yourself with extreme propriety and sobriety and set many hearts fluttering all at once.
9) Become the person who’s really YOU
It’s okay it’s okay, imitation is an art of flattery and it’s all right to imitate others when you’re slowly discovering those subtle nuance and bits about yourself. Say, when you were young you were fascinated by the author Enid Blyton and you somewhat copied her style in your writing and expression of life. Maybe you did see the world through rose tinted glasses, but after a while you start blending all these styles and eventually come into your own. That’s your own brand of YOU. The final print! And even though you will keep adapting, and re inventing every six seven months, the real you will finally emerge sometime in your late twenties. At that point in time, you certainly won’t shy away from anything and will definitely not fail to show the Original you to the real world.
10) Stop chasing that ghost called Fame First of all the concept of fame is long dead. Think of fame as this batty nymph who vanishes every five seconds, then reappears and vanishes again. After all, these days everyone can experience their five seconds anywhere, everywhere, online and offline. The concept of the Super Star died eons back. Now we have star dust approaching us by the hour, minutes and seconds for just when you think someone is the next big thing, five minutes later he’s replaced by someone even better. More so these days, for even if you did invent the hottest gadget on the planet, ten minutes later some Chinese kid would have replicated an exact ditto copy, maybe with even better add ons. Such is the summary of our lives these days and therefore I urge every twenty something to look beyond that illusion and try and be as normal as they possibly can.
11)Keep re-inventing yourself
Like we know, that the universe digs speed and in this age of high speed connection and high speed everything, we all need to keep re -innovating ourselves internally and externally. True, it’s important that we savor each moment and relish our appetites to the max but we must duly adapt, change and re invent for the better. Look ahead at life in a meaningful manner, the future is going to be even more bombastic five years down the lane, so why not start gearing for it in advance. Keep your eyes, nose, ears and all vital organs open to the universe. Jump orbits while you can and experience the wonder of seeing something with new eyes all over again.
12) Get Over yourself!
Dude and Dudettes! I’m dead serious here. I understand you believe you think you’re special and you maybe in the process of discovering the next big weird app. You might have scaled many peaks, travelled multiple locations, jumped jobs, courses, girls, boys all at once, but like seriously at the end of the day it’s important to not take yourself too seriously. It’s important to laugh at all the fun bits as we go along and most importantly, it’s super duper important to get over yourself and I’m saying this for the last and final time, like seriously!!! Get over yourself!!! And most importantly remember to LOL real hard!
Have an amazing life!
This is the final chapter from my novel, The Twisted Twenties by Deepali Junjappa
Available on Homeshop18
Smoke the Drive... 
Can’t wait to read the whole book.