My Birthday Reflection

HELLO IT’S MY DAY OF BIRTH 🎈 and I have a reflection to share with you…

For the last decade I’ve really struggled with accepting my age, so much that the only ones who truly knew my age were my closest group of friends.

I finished my first two years of college by the time I was 18 — yes, literally walked my local community college stage for a diploma 2 months before my high school graduation — because as you guessed it I was a total overachiever.

But that also meant I started my career and “real world job” at the ripe age of 20 😮

I remember feeling so accomplished, proud of myself and gleaming with joy of how much “orgullo” my parents would have knowing that.

And then I realized “being the younger one” in most workplaces and social circles came at a cost.

People didn’t take you as seriously, you were called “the intern” by people at your same professional level, and I even once got pulled aside by a CEO saying I was “too bubbly and immature-sounding” so he forced me into public speaking classes so I can fit their mold.

This totally messed with me for years to come.

It fueled this idea that I wasn’t good enough because I want “old enough” when I was literally just about 2-3 years younger than my counterparts.

But I kept going and worked through this imposter syndrome, so much that people stopped asking “how old I was” and just started asking me to sit in their rooms because they NEEDED my expertise and creative thinking.

At one point, I set a goal to be a “Vice President” in my field before 30. Well, over the last month I said “no thanks” to FOUR Vice President jobs because I was already a CEO of a business before 30.

And I don’t know about you, but I like the sound of that better.

And, well, now I just want to stop time and relive my 20s one last time before saying goodbye. So excuse me while I play with that version of me for a bit and remind them how incredible it is to have accomplished so much at their age, and how beautiful their gifts are.

Long story short: love whatever part of the journey you’re in because you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.

x, LC