Look around, because it feels as if everyone has figured out what’s going on in this little game of life except for you. Your friend just got another promotion at work. Take a scroll down Instagram and everyone is working their dream job, taking pictures of their fabulous vacations and appears to have figured out the glitch in this game of life at a tender age of 25. It’s a narrative that can make anyone feel left behind, but here’s a secret: this is normal.
Life is not about being perfect, but it is about perseverance, loving oneself and finding enough courage to keep moving even when things aren’t clear ahead, even when this is basically what it feels like to have a GPS that is busted while you’re running out of snacks and lost. Life happens when people choose to live in uncertainty, as opposed to living in fear of it.
The current fixation of having it “figured out” is both stressful and ineffective. The current message from society is that adulthood is like an easy-to-solve puzzle, with a clear finish line. But life, of course, does not always go as planned.
Five-year plans fall apart, priorities shift and yesterday’s dreams can’t wait to turn into tomorrow’s plans. Feeling lost is not failure; it is quietly progressing.
Anxiety is often a silent stalker. For some, it’s an overthinking loop at midnight. For others, it’s a tense, restless feel in the chest, or an exhaustion for no reason at all. While it’s tempting to leave those signs unchecked, it’s vital to pay attention to them.
Those signs aren’t an indication of weakness, they’re a nudge from your mind that it’s OK to slow down a little, even if it means taking a snack break to work things out.
Comparison is what sparks a lot of this stress. Facebook shows only jobs, vacations and successful relationships, but never what really happens behind closed doors. You know, everyone has their own speed, everyone is struggling in their own ways. Even being able to roll out of bed tomorrow is an accomplishment.
Therefore, if you’re feeling as if things in your life are up in the air, just start small. Let go of plans for the next five years; maybe think of what could get accomplished in a week’s time. Take up a pastime, initiate communication with a person whom you’ve been avoiding, or devote an entire day to yourself.
Reflection helps too. You don’t always have to keep an exemplary journal or an exemplary quote handy, that is, maybe just writing down “today is weird” is enough. Reflection makes things clear, makes sense of what’s happening and reminds oneself that uncertainty is not failure but soil in which genuine growth is planted.
Having support also helps. Connecting with friends, relatives, mentors and even that friend who answers your text at 2 a.m. reminds you that you’re not alone on this wild journey. Sometimes saying out loud, “I really do not know what I am doing” is more than enough to lighten the mental load.
Taking care of oneself is critical. Sleeping, eating healthy food, exercising and expressing oneself through music, painting, dancing in your living room and so forth, ensures that one stays strong. Taking small acts of care helps an individual feel rooted despite uncertainty.
Errors occur. Setbacks occur. Even people who appear to have everything going for them are figuring things out in the background. Success is not about excellence, it’s about attempting, adjusting and finding a way to smile during the weird portions.
Life is not a straight line but a road trip with poor GPS guidance, detours and far too many snacks to take a stop.
One step, one error, one laugh and one poorly burned piece of toast at a moment are eventually what existence is all about. Every journey is special and this includes twists and turns, interruptions and apparently end points. More significantly, you’re exploring even when you’re lost. And that’s perfectly fine, that’s exactly where you meant to be.
Edited by Bidhya Sapkota and Arohi Rai
