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This Is 25

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There’s a silly cultural reference and internet phenomena that claims the brain’s prefrontal cortex is considered “fully developed” by the age of 25. In society, 25 is often the age that you’re expected to have most things in life “all figured out” as a mature, settled down adult. But, a month into being a 25 year old myself—here’s what I’ve learned. 

— Just a handful of memes about turning 25 that I found funny.

It’s okay to not have everything exactly figured out right now. Life is full of constant evolution and unforeseen circumstances. So while we may wish to have full control and handle of our lives, because at this age that feels like the “responsible” thing to do, it’s okay to feel lost—as long as you don’t let your circumstances dictate your outlook on life and overall mindset. From a young age, I’ve known firsthand that while you cannot control your circumstances, you can choose to make the best out every situation. In a day and age where it’s easy to compare yourself to everyone else you see posting their seemingly “perfect” lives on social media, it’s important to realize your journey is your own, and there’s no “correct” way to navigate this world we all live in. 

So for me, 25 is finding joy in the small things. Looking around a room, at a dinner table, surrounded by your loved ones, and feeling immense gratitude. It is rediscovering the things that used to make you happy and provide comfort in your youth, such as the movies or music you used to play, and feeling that same sense of joy all over again.

25 is feeling soul-crushing nostalgia in childhood photographs or home videos—realizing you are looking at a moment in time that you cannot get back, and still feeling content, knowing now that you’re exactly where you are meant to be, and that everything that happens in one’s life can either shape you, or break you. It is realizing how far you’ve come and how much farther you have, still, to go. 

For me, 25 was about making a nearly week-long spectacle of my birthday, not out of conceit, but purely from a place of gratitude for life, and all the people I’m lucky enough to have around in mine.

Though only a month into being twenty-five, I vow in this moment to lean more into this gift I have—to keep expressing my thoughts in written words. In time I will continue to treat this blog like my own open journal and share my creations with the world, not under confines of a strict schedule, but freely, as they come to me.

So whether you’re embracing a new age with your “fully developed frontal lobes” or experiencing a “quarter-life crisis”, remember that while growing up seems scary, life is what you make it—this is 25.

Introducing My Debut SeIf-Published Poetry Book!: ‘If I Bare My Soul’ Out NOW Only on Amazon

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It’s always been a dream of mine to write a book. I’ve been told numerous times “You have such a unique story to tell! You should write a book!” and for a while that was hard for me to grasp because, to me, I’ve always just felt like your average girl, that just so happens to have been born with a disability. I always seem to revert back to this idea of, who cares what I have to say? So though I had this dream within me, I never thought I had anything interesting enough to say. 

But the more I shared my writings on social media and received supportive feedback, the more I fell in love with it and gained confidence in my creative skills. Though it wasn’t actually until I confided in my best friend about this hesitancy I’d felt and she told me “I think all creatives have this when they’re on the brink of something good, it just means you care!,” that I truly felt like maybe she was right, that maybe I just needed to go for it.

Many years into my writing career, I was starting to feel discouraged because I wasn’t receiving the opportunities that I once believed would come easily, so I came to this realization that if I wanted to accomplish this dream of mine, I’d have to take matters into my own hands. And so, at the beginning of this year I set intentions for myself that by summertime I would self-publish a book. It was more than a goal, but a promise I intended to keep to myself. Finally on July 10th, I did just that, and published my debut poetry book.

Not even a power outage could take away my joy in sharing my debut book with the world!

This book is a mix of raw honest narratives from my perspective, not only as a young woman trying to navigate life but as a proud person with a disability, as well as some fictional creative writing pieces. Because I find inspiration everywhere—in the falling autumn leaves, under the warmth of the scorching summer sun, in every melody of music I listen to—and everything I create, even fictional, is a piece of my soul that I am giving away.

This book is about getting to know myself and finding my true calling through the artistic outlet of written expression. It’s about navigating the chaos of life in your teenage years and your early twenties, about womanhood, and overcoming adversity. It’s about the great value I place on all the relationships I’m lucky enough to have in my life—the only type of relationships I’ve ever known up to this point in my life—my loving family and my cherished friendships. It’s about being human, one who has both good and bad days, and about self-love.

This book is for those that look like me, who can relate to my life experiences as a person with a disability. It’s for those that share with me an appreciation for literature, who like to get lost in storytelling and live vicariously through dream worlds with fictional characters. It is for all my fellow chronically single hopeless romantics and for the empaths, those who see the beauty in the natural world—in life and in every human connection on this planet.

This is by far the scariest, most vulnerable thing I’ve ever done in my life, but I’m ecstatic to share my first project of hopefully many more to come in the future. So, I guess all there’s left to say is: If I bare my soul, will you listen?

— faith maria

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Purchase my poetry book If I Bare My Soul: a collection of poetry & prose in both paperback and hardcover form, available NOW only on Amazon!

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@ _f.m.writes to never miss any of my future writing endeavors!