 Dear late bloomers, are you worried that you won't reach your goals because you haven't landed your first adult job yet? Or maybe you feel reluctant to put yourself out there because you haven't dated anyone before. I'm a late bloomer myself, and I can tell you that life has a mysterious way of working on us when we least expect it to. Before continuing with this video, I want you to shut off your phone and close out of your Facebook, Instagram, and any other social media page. For the next few minutes, let's forget about the status updates on your friend who just tweeted about the promotion they got. Forget about the pictures of the guy you've always had a crush on making silly faces with his new girlfriend. Forget about where you want to be, just in this moment. Here's something I want to let you know. In life, there's no expiration date until the day we die. The whole idea of living in a linear fashion is not only absurd but suffocating, and it prevents you from being honest with yourself. When social norms expect us to finish high school, go off to college, get a degree, get a job, get married, have a kid, and retire when we're 65, those don't actually determine our success or happiness. I have met people who thought they met the one and planned their entire future out together. They couldn't wait to get married and start a family. But somewhere down the road, they just stopped loving each other. And guess what? Life still moves us forward. You can be the most prepared person, have your whole life mapped out in front of your eyes, and somehow, someday, something will pull the rug under your feet. And that might sound like the saddest thing ever, but the truth is, we don't start fully living until something shakes us up inside, and we drop everything we thought we knew to go after what we finally understand. My favorite author, Haruki Murakami, didn't pursue his writing career until he was 29. He rebelled against the social norms and married his wife before he even finished college. They used to own a jazz bar together. He did things out of order, mainly because he did what felt right and natural for him. He simply embraced the present. I didn't get my first kiss until I was 21, and didn't start dating until I was 23. And when I admitted those things, guess what? People didn't see me as anything less. My boyfriend went through the same motions before he met, and I certainly don't see him any differently. He once said to me, they're people who have lived and seen more in their years than others. He was referring to the wisdom we collect when we go through the dark times. So what if you're in your 20s and haven't moved out of your parents' house yet? So what if you just started school? And so what if you're a virgin? None of that matters nearly as much as your ability to keep an open mind and heart. I bet somewhere down the road, the people who graduated as valedictorians or the people who landed a job right after college will experience something that challenges them to fall off the linear path. Let's not forget that youth provides us the opportunity to make mistakes, explore your options, and go through the motions of finding who you are. It's not about who gets to the finish line first. We spend our whole lives competing, running on the hamster wheel, and for what when it only spins us in a circular, dizzying motion? We could be humanizing one another instead. You're not behind and you're not actually late. So do what makes sense to you on your time. What will you start embracing as a late bloomer? Please share your thoughts with us below. Also, be sure to subscribe to our channel for more helpful tips and share this video with others. With your help, we can reach more people and provide daily tips and tricks. Thanks for watching!