25 Important Feelings Everyone Should Experience In Their 20s

1. Receiving your first grown-up paycheck from your first grown-up job, and having emotions that can only be described as a GIF of The Carlton Dance.

2. Finally paying your bills by yourself, on time, and know exactly what to do with your savings, IRA, and all those other acronyms you actually remember from your personal finance class./FINALLY HAVING SAVINGS.

3. Paying for something big that you’ve been saving up for and thinking to yourself, “Yes, I have arrived.”

4. Going out with a few friends to somewhere really nice and picking-up the tab as you casually say, “I’ve got this,” like it’s no big deal.

5. Giving your first real opinion that you’ve taken the time to think about, reflect on, and form. And having the courage to stand by it.

6. Telling someone how insignificant their opinion of you is, and actually meaning it.

7. Realizing that people whose opinions you wrongly cared about, no longer have any power over you.

8. Admitting to being completely wrong about something or someone, and being humble enough to change your mind.

9. Confronting someone on their less than decent treatment of you, and dealing with whatever uncomfortable consequences may result.

10. Having the courage to end any kind of toxic relationship and still wishing the best for that person.

11. Forgiving someone who has wronged you deeply, and asking for forgiveness from someone whom you have wronged.

12. Feeling terrified of making any kind of change in your life. But also feeling like it’s the right thing to do.

13. Taking a much-needed vacation to absolutely anywhere on your own dime.

14. Being genuinely happy for people who you know are doing really well in their lives.

15. Being classy and cordial to someone you absolutely cannot stand.

16. Hanging out with old friends and feeling like nothing has changed, but also like you’ve all come really far.

17. Spending time by yourself and realizing how comfortable you are with the person you are becoming.

18. Kissing/dating/being in a relationship with someone who likes you and who you like, just as much. (Yes, this is on here because it is a lot harder than it sounds.)

19. Finally learning a lesson that life has been trying to teach you over and over again.

20. Laughing really REALLY hard about something you were sad about not so long ago.

21. Being comfortable with having fundamental differences with someone else, and still respecting their positions while not conceding your own.

22. Understand that you have no control over other people, and they will ultimately believe, say, and do whatever they want; understanding the only person you control is you.

23. Feeling like all things considered, you’re in the right career with the right people in the right place at the right time.

24. Having a dream, even the smallest, most insignificant childhood dream come true, and recognizing the magic of that moment.

25. Realizing that despite all the imperfections in your job, relationships, family life, future, etc.,  you can honestly look yourself in the mirror and say, “Yep, I’ve got my shit together.”