Are You Still A Hot Mess?
I can’t tell you when it became cool to be labeled a ‘hot mess’ but it seems to be a trendy plague that has swept the millennial generation. Being a twenty something now a days apparently comes hand in hand with the unspoken passage of, “I’m old enough to know but young enough not to care.” Most of us walk around with the mindset that if we can’t tie our own shoes it’s totally ok because this is our learning curve in life.
Hmmm.
Although I’m an advocate of testing the waters and diving head first into the windy paths of twenty something life, I am not a part of the “it’s my due diligence to be a complete disaster” club. Let me ask you this, why is it easier to find a graphic tee that has the words HOT MESS delicately placed across it than it is to find a shirt that says I HAVE MY SHIT TOGETHER.
This post is my crazy attempt to shine the light on those that do in fact have it together. To the ones that are kicking ass and taking names, I applaud you. To the ones who hustle rather than throw money around on bottomless mimosas, your hard work will pay off. To the ones that have a million balls up in the air and juggle them with grace, you are inspiring. To the ones that know when to take a breather and give yourself a pat on the back, you are awesome.
It’s my true belief that we don’t give ourselves the credit we, most of the time, deserve because we are so blinded by the notion that it’s the cool thing to have no idea what we are doing with our lives. If you’re sitting there questioning what side of the fence you stand on, let me provide some clarity. If you fall into the below 8 categories than you my friend actually do have your shit together – congratulations.
1. You provide your own roof
Whether you can afford a mansion or a shoe box, that’s beside the point. Leaving your parents nest is a scary (and expensive) thing to do. Don’t even underestimate the value of your signature on the rent check.
2. You clean up after yourself
Clean up, clean up, everybody do your share. Ok, we may be too old for Barney but we will never be too old to clean up after ourselves. If you overcome the dreaded weekly laundry task and wipe down your counters religiously. PS: bonus points for vacuuming.
3. You can handle your alcohol
Hate to be a buzzkill but college is over aka you have no excuse to be out until 2AM on a Tuesday slinging back drinks. To those that have found the balance between having a social drink and acting 21, cheers to you.
4. You decide your own happiness
Knowing full well that you are the only one with the power to decide your mood is powerful. The moment you stop relying on others to be happy is the moment you become your own. In the words of Glenda the good witch, “You have no power here, be gone before someone drops a house on you too.” (Fun fact: Wizard Of Oz is one of my favorite movies)
5. You know when to walk away
Saying goodbye to people / things that no longer serves you is one of the most mature things that I think anyone can truly ever do. Why? Because if you ask me it’s one of the hardest things to do. Whether you’re ripping the band aid off of friendships, relationships or old habits it takes a lot of guts to put an end to those chapters.
6.You know when not to swipe
Aside from knowing the do’s and don’ts of dating apps you also have a handle on when you should slowly back away from the register and put your credit card back in your wallet.
7. You know how to treat others
Whether it’s the slow paced employee at the grocery store or a coworker that drives you up a wall you’ve come to the realization that it actually takes more energy to treat someone poorly than it does to simply be a nice person. Walking around with a stick up your butt is not a cute look nor does it spread good vibes so to those that have their shit together and our expected rays of sunshine, thank you.
8. You believe in your inner Beyoncé
There is nothing in this world that is sexier than confidence. Owning your dreams, your imperfections, your talents and your personal journey is a top notch charismatic trait to embody. The moment you realize that you got this is the moment you make a sharp right onto ‘I have my shit together avenue’ and leave ‘hot mess street’ forever in your rear view mirror.
