“If you’re thinking about doing something, ask yourself what you would do if you weren’t afraid and then do it.”

Generation Y. We represent a generation of technology, of arrogance, of progress. We were brought up to believe that we are special, that each one of us has the power to change the world. We are the generation who has graduated from school, thousands of dollars in debt, only to find unemployment. Now in our twenties and early thirties we are facing the facts about who we are truly becoming.

People settle down later, get married later, start a family later. “Your twenties hardly matter,” they tell us, you can do all of that in your thirties. But your dream job won’t suddenly appear once you hit thirty, nor will you magically learn the give and take of a successful relationship overnight. Your twenties are the time to lay down the foundation for your career, for a family, and for who you want to become. And by saying that twenty is the new thirty, you are robbing a generation of its most crucial decade.

Our brain rewires itself one last time in our twenties. It’s our last chance to, in a sense, rewire ourselves into the person we will be for the rest of our lives. Our twenties are a time to grow and explore, to foster new friendships and relationships, and to create ourselves. It’s a time to take that dream internship, to apply for that unlikely job, and to start pursing our passions so that they have time to turn into something substantial. It’s a time to travel, to explore new ideas, and to stand for what we believe. And it’s time to start now, because success, in a marriage, career, or passion, takes time.

During our twenties we create habits that will last the rest of our lives. We create opportunities that will turn into careers. We foster relationships that will turn into marriages. We think of ideas which will transform our world. Your twenties are your most influence decade so don’t let them disappear, wasted, before your eyes.