A Message to the 20-somethings…

This blog post is from an Instagram post I wrote on March 19, 2021

“However, I felt lost at times. Naturally. It was like… “I’m here on campus, but what am I doing?  Where am I going? Who do I wanna be when I grow up?” In reality, I already know… Who I Am; what I really was doing was trying to find a box to place myself in.”

excerpt from the About page here on aleighanicole.com

A message to the 20-somethings and anyone else who needs the Reminder…

“No one knows what the hell they’re doing. One of the best things we can do for ourself is be confident in what we’re strong about, Now, know there’s always more to learn (remember), and Know that we operate in our wisdom only when we put motion behind that knowledge—which will always bring Change, and in turn, 🌳Growth. And Never Forget To Feel.” <3

The caption:

A box mentality is rigid and keeps you trapped; exit stage left🚪⬅️ People in their 20s always talk about how confused they are in what they wanna do with their life… as if you supposed to have it all figured out (*whispers a secret: no one really does). Just live. Try things. Challenge yourself. Talk to people. Listen. Spend time alone. Live different places. Know your beliefs and Be faithful to them. Know why you do the things you do. Understand what it is you know, there’s a difference. Love who you are & accept yourself. Be honest when change is needed. You don’t have all the answers. Respect your elders & peers, even if you don’t agree with them. Separate yourself from what you don’t wanna be around. Don’t go where you’re not wanted. Surround yourself where Love is being given & received, this is peace. Admit you’re angry or sad, get to the root & don’t take it out on people who don’t deserve it. Admit to self when wrong. All actions have consequences. You will fail. You will get fooled. You will always bounce back stronger & more vigilant. Trust yourself. Accept support. Don’t do things to be accepted or seen in some way. People don’t really care about you, except for the people who really do—you better be able to tell the difference. Be a human with morals. Remember any feelings of envy is requiring you to look back at yourself, hater. You’re not depressed unless you’re actually depressed, shutup. Drink water. Eat to live. Get enough sleep. Indulge in whatever you choose to enjoy. Sex is a sacred energy exchange, hoe. Ice cream supposed to be soft, not your ego. Discipline yourself to remind yah mind who run this.

The original Instagram post (null)

Since originally sharing this post in ’21, I feel guided to add to it. The same day I heard the second song recommendation updated on this page, there was a question posed in a group chat literally 12 hours later that same evening…

“What’s something you wish you would’ve known before 25?”

One person said, “To invest in Amazon.” What would you invest in?

Divine timing is no coincidence, so I shared the song recommendation resonating with me so heavy (mentioned above) that crossed my path before sunrise earlier that day, and gave my response with the following:

An initiation process that takes about 7 years welcomes us 😂. Aspects of yourself will shed and need to be mourned. Yet have the ability to be reintegrated as you get to know new aspects of you (that’s really just been lying dormant) that you may embrace or try to resist, along with those close to you.

This question also harked me back to an Instagram carousel I shared in 2024, a 1-year anniversary post highlighting an Erykah Badu concert I attended summer ’23. My Instagram account (@iamAleigha) is treated as an art gallery, where each “Room” or post has a theme—a compilation of images, words, videos and sounds. Not a dump, shutup.

You’ll see how this other IG post correlates to “A Message to the 20-somethings…,” noteworthy to live within this message as well.

About the other post:

When artists have those moments between sets where they talk—sharing what’s is in their heart, sprinkling gems of wisdom and delivering sound bites—I love it! Those brief periods can spontaneously reveal something valuable, and catching it on camera for keepsake is a hit or miss opportunity. Typically, I like to exert creative energy post-events I attend with miscellaneous footage I capture. In this case, I made a mini-movie with the clips gathered from the Unfollow Me tour, sharing it as a Reel originally and splicing it into individual gallery slides later.

Staying on subject, and how it relates to “A Message to the 20-somethings…”

In one of the clips, shown below (Slide 8 of the IG post), Erykah says: “…So I did write Baduizm for the 90’s babies. I’m happy you here, and I been waiting for you to grow the f–k up so you can come—so we can talk about this face-to-face.”

There’s a portion of this moment that I have on video shared in art piece (slide) No. 7 of this “Room” where Badu metaphorically describes her introduction to the sound of the heartbeat of babies born in the 1990’s, signaling the chosen beat that introduces the song “On & On,” track No. 2 on her debut studio album, Baduzim (1997). She proceeds to clarify the validity of this sentiment, saying, “Then I found out it was true cause I listened to Seven heart real close and it did that.” It’s worth noting, Seven is her son born in 1997.

“Ok, how does this relate to being in my 20s? Everybody ain’t born in the 90’s.”

The last part of the brain to develop is the prefrontal cortex (PFC)—aiding in overall cognitive control when it comes to the influence of thoughts, emotions and actions; it’s scientifically said to reach full maturity arouuunnnd the age of 25 (by or after).

Being that 2024 is the year where the last of the collective born in the 1990’s (i.e. ’99) turn 25 (the estimated amount of years it takes for this maturation process to unfold), that is what inspired and contributed to this specific room within my IG art gallery.

This is one of the topics Badu touched on at the show, leading into what’s shared above (didn’t get to film that part).

The caption of each “Room” in the la galerie d’art act as a Guide, describing/giving further information beyond the imagery displayed. In point #8 within the caption of this post, referring to slide No. 8, I write:

🔊8.) 2024—90s babies are finally grown, indeed. Frontal lobe officially clicking. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for our:
🧠thoughts n memory,
🧠personality n behaviors,
🧠emotions, impulsivity/self-control,
🧠how we socialize and get things done—
🧠paying attention, observing, planning n organizing, multitasking n time managing,
🧠and overall self-regulation and reasoning skills.

1999 hits 25 this year, the Middle Child turning 30 like 1994 wasn’t 7 years ago, and top of the decade babies just getting this “adult thing” started.

I leave art up for personal exploration and interpretation, that includes and concludes this post.

• • •

Spread Love, Be True. THRIVE

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