25 is a big birthday. It’s halfway through your twenties! These quotes for turning 25 will inspire you for the second half of your twenties.
You don’t have to pay the underage fee on rental cars anymore and your car insurance rates go down. You’re closer to thirty than to your teen years.
You’re still trying to figure out what you want to do and where you want to go in life (even though you have at least a bachelors degree and the student loan debt to prove it).
Sometimes in our twenties, we forget that we aren’t going it alone, even though we’ve never felt lonelier than in our twenties.
Here are 25 empowering quotes for turning 25:
1. “Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.” — Henry Van Dyke
2. “Alice asked the Cheshire Cat, who was sitting in a tree, “What road do I take?”
The cat asked, “Where do you want to go?”
“I don’t know,” Alice answered.
“Then,” said the cat, “it really doesn’t matter, does it?” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
3. “The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure that you seek.” — Joseph Campbell
4. “The most important thing in life is to stop saying ‘I wish’ and start saying ‘I will’.” — Charles Dickens
5. “Dwell in possibility.” — Emily Dickinson
![Think back to your 10-year-old self’s daydreams about your 21st birthday. Maybe you were convinced you would be living it up at your dream school, learning by day and partying by night. Perhaps you fancied yourself a world traveler, backpacking across Europe and spending your days sipping wine with the world’s most fascinating people. If your dreams didn’t quite turn out as planned, it’s OK! You should still be cracking open that wine-in-a-box and celebrating your twenties. Being in your twenties is a time for adventure and whimsy. Many of us will settle down someday, create beautiful little families and become permanent fixtures in our neighborhoods of choice. But for me, that day is not today. To fill my time between now and thirtydom, I’ll be attempting to be a little bit reckless and a little bit responsible, to fix my undeniably bad and self-destructive habits, to make goals and surpass them and finally, to make memories I will never forget. Here is your Bucket List: 30 Things to Do Before You Turn 30: 1. Travel somewhere you don’t know the language. Going somewhere you can’t easily communicate with other people is terrifying. But not only would it enlighten you and make you savvy to another culture, it would also force you to really learn the language -- something we're rarely forced to do. 2. Date someone who isn’t your “type." You will learn and grow from being around people who are different from you. Maybe the relationship won't work out in the end or maybe you'll meet your future spouse. At any rate, you'll either have a great time or a terrible time, but you will learn from the experience. 3. Start your 401(k). Retirement might be a blip on the map but it will be here before you know it. Do yourself a favor and start saving now. Especially if your company offers matching. Grow money, grow! (P.S. Here's our guide to saving for retirement in your 20s!) 4. Take a risk: Go bungee jumping or skydiving or swim with sharks. I’m talking to you non-adrenaline junkies and typical stay-at-homers. Get outside, put yourself in the hands of trained professionals, and experience that exhilarating feeling of being thisclose to staring death in the face. 5. Start investing. This is a risk in itself. Learn enough to invest some money or have someone else do it for you. No risk, no reward. We have an entire series on getting started with investing: Investing 101: A Beginner's Guide To Investing For Wealth 10 Investing Myths Busted 6 Things To Do Before You Start Investing 7 Times When Investing Isn't The Smartest Financial Move Why I Love Investing With Betterment TIP: If you’re struggling to find money in your budget to put towards investments, I highly recommend using Ebates! After you sign up and make an account, you can use the extension on your web browser to alert you when there is cash back available. You make your purchase as usual and percent of cash back is deposited into your account and then paid out to you quarterly! I earn around $300-400/year in cash back just for using Ebates. Don't leave money on the table! Here’s $10 for signing up and making your first purchase. 6. Form your political opinion. We live in a politically turbulent time. It's up to us to educate ourselves and advocate for what we believe in. Many people shy away from political discussions but by having them, you’ll come out with new, more well-rounded knowledge and, hopefully, will get to know your own opinions better. 7. Stop holding grudges. Past grievances are overrated. You don’t need negativity in your life and you definitely don’t need it over something that happened years ago. If you need to, unfollow of block the involved parties on social media. Don't "hate follow" someone just for the heck of it. A grudge only affects the person holding it. 8. Start a collection. Something fun, quirky and totally you. Be passionate about it but don’t be a hoarder! My collectable of choice is mugs. They take up a lot of space, but they are something I use daily and always bring back memories from places I’ve visited. 9. Take a cross-country road trip. Particularly if you are in the United States. You’ll get to experience many different nuances of the country and you can support local mom-and-pop businesses. Pro-tip: avoid the highways for the best scenery. 10. Pay off your credit card debt. No one wants this to begin with, but you have a chance to start off your thirties with a clean financial slate if you play your cards right (or in this case, not at all). Debt can not only be financially devastating for building the future you dream of, but it can also be tough on your confidence. 11. Go see live music you love. There's something so special about seeing your favorite artists live. They aren't going to be on tour forever, so buy the tickets and make the drive. You won't regret seeing them live. 12. Set an annual reading goal. I could bore you with the list of benefits of reading, but I won’t (but if you're curious, we've got some right here). Go make yourself a Goodreads account and set yourself a reading goal to accomplish each year. 13. Overcome a fear. Sometimes your fears hold you back, but don’t let them. Take steps to overcome your fear of public speaking or heights. Once you know you what you are capable of, anything is possible. [Tweet "Once you know you what you are capable of, anything is possible."] 14. Get a tattoo. Permanence is scary, so make sure it’s something that really represents who you are at this point in your life, particularly if you’re prone to regret. Make up your mind, do your research and go for it. If tattoos aren't your thing, there's always fake tattoos you can wear for a few days or a piercing you've always liked that you can eventually remove. Check out our Guide to Surviving Your First Tattoo! 15. Join a club. And I don’t mean the list of resume-fluffing ones you joined in high school and college. I mean ones that you are really interested in and passionate about. For example, try and join a running club or a book club. Maybe you're into intramural volleyball or something else entirely. Either way it's a fun way to meet new people and spend some time on a hobby! 16. Treat yourself to something really expensive. ...and pay for it in cash. Whether its a new computer, a Chanel handbag or a weekend away at an upscale resort and spa, you totally deserve it for working hard. If you don't have the cash now, start saving! Make yourself a savings account called "Treat Myself" and transfer $20 a paycheck until you have enough. 17. Be the first person to apologize. It’s hard to admit when you are wrong. But it’s usually for the greater good. Saying "I'm sorry" is something we learn as children but don't often implement as adults. Apologize when you're in the wrong. 18. Run a marathon. Or a triathlon or a 5k. Pushing yourself physically is not only good for your body but good for your mind. And plus, you’ll feel really awesome with your medal. We're capable of far more than we think we are -- and this is your chance to prove it to yourself! 19. Forgive yourself for mistakes. Realizing you made a huge mistake by passing over an amazing job offer might seem like the end of the world, but it’s not. Forgive yourself and move on. This goes along with letting go of grudges--don’t hold them against yourself. 20. Learn how to cook. I’m not saying you should aspire to be Ina Garten; just learn how to make a few fancy dishes for one of those special occasions. They might come in handy sooner than you think. Knowing how to make risotto is a great recipe to always have in your back pocket. It's easy one you know the steps and can be made in any variation based on the ingredients you have on hand. 21. Eat really expensive food. Treat yourself (and maybe your significant other) to a meal at one of the world’s top restaurants. Find out what all of the fuss is about and indulge in food made by someone who invented the cooking method. 22. Pay it forward. Ever had someone help you out when you didn’t ask for it? Even if you haven’t, you can still start a chain of positive events by paying for someone’s coffee or helping them change a flat tire. Positive momentum is a powerful thing, people! 23. Attempt to break a world record. In the Guinness Book of World Records, of course. There are records for everything, so round up your friends and give it your best shot. Even if you don't quite break a record, it's still a pretty cool memory to have. 24. Attend the Olympic Games. Whether it’s Winter or Summer, you’ll never regret being in the presence of the world’s elite athletes and having the opportunity to watch history in the making. 25. Pick a cause and be passionate about it. Whether it’s cancer research or clean water, donate and make efforts to help others and advance your cause. Don't just say you're interested in a cause, go live it and be it -- volunteer your time, fundraise or donate. Change doesn't happen by sitting at home on your couch. [click_to_tweet tweet="Change doesn't happen by sitting at home on your couch." quote="Change doesn't happen by sitting at home on your couch."] 26. Make your family tree. There is no history more interesting than your own--figure out who your ancestors were and how they impacted the world and your own life. What you find out might surprise you. Take it a step further and record your family's complete medical history. This will not only come in handy for you, but for future generations are well. 27. See a Broadway play. Or a Cirque show or Blue Man Group. Put on your best dress or your tux and live it up. 28. Work a menial job. A job where you know you won’t advance but also requires tipping. You’ll gain a better appreciation for people you come across in your future who count tips as the largest part of their salary. If this doesn't fit into your career plan, try picking up a second job around the holidays -- you'll appreciate the extra income and you'll gain some eye-opening experience for those who work for minimum wage full time. 29. Become a connoisseur in something. Whether it’s cheese, wine, tea or coffee, your garnered knowledge will always help you make small talk but also enrich your life in ways you haven’t even imagined. 30. And finally, make a list of 40 Things to do Before You Turn 40. If only because it’s fun! [Tweet "Bucket List: 30 Things to Do Before You Turn 30"] Don't Miss:](https://gentwenty.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/nicolas-moscarda-675660-unsplash.jpg)
6. “Find ecstasy in life; the mere sense of living is joy enough.” — Emily Dickinson
7. “Honor the space between no longer and not yet.” — Nancy Levin
8. “If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place.” — Nora Roberts
9. “A flower does not think of competing to the flower next to it. It just blooms.” — Zen Shin
10. “Respect yourself enough to walk away from something that no longer serves you, grows you, or makes you happy.” — Robert Tew
11. “Surround yourself only with people who are going to lift you higher.” — Oprah Winfrey
12. “The years teach much which the days never knew.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
13. “You’re starting to realize that everything you ever thought you wanted isn’t exactly what you really want. — Unknown
14. “Is the quarter-life crisis just not having a full-time job and living with your parents, or is it realizing that you have to choose some irreversible path for your life? In my case, it was realizing that I had already chosen, quite some time ago.” — Taylor Cotter
15. “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.” — Steve Prefontaine
16. “The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all.” — Mulan
17. “I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.
“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” — J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
18. “To be nobody but yourself in a world that’s doing its best to make you somebody else, is to fight the hardest battle you are ever going to fight. Never stop fighting.” — E.E. Cummings
19. “Don’t grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form.” — Rumi
20. “Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens.” — Khalil Gibran
Harvest bouquet c/o The Bouqs Co.
21. “You’ll be fine. You’re 25. Feeling [unsure] and lost is part of your path. Don’t avoid it. See what those feelings are showing you and use it. Take a breath. You’ll be okay. Even if you don’t feel okay all the time.” — Louis C.K.
22. “There will be a few times in your life when all your instincts will tell you to do something, something that defies logic, upsets your plans, and may seem crazy to others. When that happens, you do it. Listen to your instincts and ignore everything else. Ignore logic, ignore the odds, ignore the complications, and just go for it.” — Judith McNaught, Remember When
23. “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” — Robert Frost
24.“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default.” — J.K. Rowling
25. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” — H. Jackson Brown Jr., P.S. I Love You
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