Have you Grown Up Yet?

I work in Hollywood, where success can literally be measured in cars, mansions, awards, and gargantuan paychecks; every day I meet people who are considered to be gold medalists in the “Winning At Life” category. By society’s definition of adulthood, these studio heads, executives, producers, and actors are all uber-successful grown-ups. But when you spend real time with these people, you realize that they don’t have it all figured out. The more wealth and success I encounter, the more I am convinced that it’s not what you have or accumulate in life, it’s how you handle what you have. Maturity manifests itself not in the purchase but in the handling of life’s goods.

For me, being an adult means following through on my commitments. Being an adult means taking responsibility for my actions and not playing the blame-game with others. Being an adult means apologizing when I’ve screwed up, and meaning it. Being an adult means being open-minded and humble. People who possess these traits are the real grown-ups in my eyes, regardless of their age, job, relationship status or social standing.

I’m not sure if I’m a grown-up yet by my own definition (I’m certainly not by society’s standards), but I’m working on it, and hope to get there soon.

https://thoughtcatalog.com/caroline-dunaway/2014/03/at-what-moment-do-you-finally-know-youve-grown-up/