This was originally posted on my Instagram on Aug. 16
The old me would be freaking out about turning 26 😬
Ah, young Lisa. Perhaps you can relate …
In my teenage years + early 20s, I was very unhappy with myself. Insecure. Negative. Obsessed with what everyone thought.
It was all good, though -- because I was CONVINCED I’d be happy by my mid-20s. I didn’t know what that meant … but I was pretty sure it had to do with being a wife + mom 🤷🏻♀️
My life took such a different turn. In college, I finally found something I was good at: journalism. I threw myself into my career & decided if I’m a TV reporter by my mid-20s, THEN I’ll be happy.
Well, I started working in TV and realized it wasn’t for me. I decided to quit, go to Lebanon & chase big stories that hardly make the news.
It was there I realized I want to be MORE than a journalist -- I want to inspire people. I started sharing my life on Instagram & YouTube, hoping to encourage others to be their best selves.
Today is my 26th birthday. How many big stories have I sold? Not as many as I’d like. How many people have I inspired? Not as many as I’d like.
So I should be sad about turning 26, right?
I could be. Or, I could look at life in a totally different way ...
Yes, I’ve only published 5 freelance stories in the past year. I only average 60 views on my personal vlogs. But I BELIEVE in the message I’m putting out there.
If I base happiness on a result (how many stories I sell or views I get), I’ll never be happy. But when I do what my gut tells me -- and detach myself from how others will receive it -- I feel deeply satisfied.
I’m 26 years old and finally putting my energy toward DOING what I love instead of WORRYING about what people will think. And hey, that in itself is a milestone achievement 😊