This Is What I Know About The World At 24

Do you know what I know? Of course, there are boundless things out
there in this world for one still left to learn, experience, and understand.
I am humbly confident that I don’t know nearly enough just yet.
But there’s one thing I do know.There’s one thing I know with such a certainty that if I was to un-know

 it I would subsequently stop breathing. This is the one thing that
pushes exhales from my soul and keeps my heart beating. If I know
 anything in this world... It’s this one crucial thing.

Some would call it naïve, youthful, or immature to believe in
this. Some
 would scoff and say I will change my ways. They would say, “you’ll
grow out of it” or “it’s not that simple.” But it is. It is because if it
wasn’t that, the chaos of this world would destroy us.

There aren’t many out there that believe in it. You see it every day
whether it’s in the news, in your office, on your Facebook feed or
how your text message reads. The world has forgotten the one
important truth — the one that I know so surely.

What do I know? I’m single, complicated, and 24 years young...
What could I possibly know about life? Well, I know this: I know
that love is real, I know it’s out there, and I know it’s what will
save us all.

Big revelation? Probably not. Love is something we all talk about
but rarely experience. We get sucked into settling, to waiting, to a
wilting dating culture, to hatred and to meaningless rendezvous or
 “ghosting.” Love is dying, and we’re all forgetting about it.

I know that feeling too much is a strength much more than it is a
weakness. I know believing in the power of love is higher than any
religion. I know that love will always beat hate. And I know that
 without love — we have nothing.

But what can I do with this knowledge? What can I do with this force
that burns inside me and wants to shout out to the world? Maybe that’s
just what I do. I shout out that love exists and remind you all of what
 that means; because it means everything.

So I am here to remind you of love. If I do anything in this life I hope
 it’s bringing more love into this world, even if it’s simply using words
 you’ll read on your lunch break or before you go to sleep. If I can help
evoke love, then my most important job is done.

You can fall in love with life, you can fall in love with yourself and with
those around you. Tell the people important to you that you love them,
and most importantly treat them like you do. Don’t take love for granted
because it’s what binds the world together.

Don’t settle for mediocre love. Don’t settle in general because it’s out
there. We’ve seen it here and here and even there. We’ve seen it in
so many places that we need to stop talking about heartbreak and
 starting talking about the reason for these mistakes.

Don’t give into hate. Don’t give into putting others down and especially
 not putting down yourself. Push past the animosity and bring romance
back to everything you do. Be the love that the world needs to survive,
to thrive, and to continue make being alive more worthwhile.

Don’t forget about love. Don’t confuse it with a waste of time, and don’t
 give up on it. You will find it when you least expect it in the soul of the
person who’s spent a lifetime searching for you. And until then there
are so many other things to love, too.

I’d love for you to salvage these words and instead of disregarding them
 like the inspirational quote you liked on Instagram. I want you take them,
wrap them up in your heart, and start breathing new life into the world that
we know.

Although, you’re probably reading this and wondering why you should
 listen to a twenty something who hasn’t even found true love. Why, why
should you listen to me?

I get it. I do. And I’m not really asking you to. You already have love in
your heart. What I’m really asking and what I really mean is for you to
 listen to yourself. Listen to the voice inside of you that’s trying to tell
your mind it’s not always so black and white.

Listen to yourself and do not be afraid to, or be afraid and know that it
will be worth the fear. It will be worth the battle, the mistakes, and the
 wrong ways it takes to get there. When you find love you’ll realize love
was always there in one way or another.

So believe in it as strongly as you believe in your dreams. Line your goals
with real passion and you’ll see how much further you go. It isn’t weak to
feel. It isn’t pathetic to care. It is strong and it necessary to be in touch
with what ultimately keeps the world spinning.

It’s important that you know this. It’s vital that you take it in and move
 forward
 with this understanding. Can you imagine how your life will change
 if you remember to love a little more? If you start hoping more? If
 you start to believe a little more?

Imagine how each day will get easier, how waking up will get sweeter,
 and falling asleep won’t be so dreary anymore. Think about how nice
 it’ll be to hear from the people that love you, and to tell those that you
 love “I love you too.”

Imagine how unbelievably fantastic it will be if you hold out for true love
 and let go of all these flings and undefinable things. Just think about
 that. Because all those love stories are never based on pure
imagination — they are based on authentic inspiration.

So that’s why I’m here. I may not know a lot about the world at 24.
I’m still trying to figure it all out a single stride at a time. I’m no where
near perfect, but I find beauty in the imperfections. I’m no where near
an expert on love, but boy do I love figuring it out.

I know some things here and there. I know there’s more to learn and
there is so much more out there. But I know that none of that will matter
 as much as knowing that love is real and it is true. Love is going to be
what saves you — because it saved me once too.

I don’t really know enough about the world to be a credible source.
But do you know what is? Your heart. What could be more reliable to
 you that your own beating core? So listen to it. Listen to it openly and
without apprehension.

Please don’t forget about love. There’s so much in the world waiting to
be seen, touched, heard and felt. There is so much love waiting to be
found. So spend your life finding it in the places you least expect and
noticing it in the places that already exist.

It seems like such a cruel world out there, and I admit I have no idea what
you’ve been through. But if I have any role in this life it’s to remind you that
 love will help get you through. Love - in any and all forms — can rescue
you, push you, and take you over bounds you never knew.

I won’t grow out of this and I won’t stop believing. I’ll keep shouting and
writing, writing and shouting, even if only one person hears me. If just
one person out there starts to believe in love a little more, then my job
is done. Because as soon as there is one — there can be many.

I believe you could be that one. I believe you have what it takes to
remember. You’re probably hesitant, afraid, or think you already know
a sufficient amount. Whatever the case may be — I want you to know
 that you’re enough. You’re enough to be a part of this revolution; you’re
more than enough to love.

There are hardships out there, there is evil we cannot deny, and there
will be times when love doesn’t seem like appropriate reprieve. There
will be those days, but that’s when you need love the most. That’s
when you need to believe in it with all of your might.

Because then there will be better days. There will be great, fantastic,
and oh-my-goodness such lovely days. There will be days that will
convince you hands down and that will make every other day worth it.
They will be here sooner than you know it.

So what do I know about the world at 24?
I am the type of girl who believes in loveand knows
that that’s enough.