It's Normal To Be Lost In Your 20s | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

It's Normal To Be Lost In Your 20s

It is okay not to know what you want to be when you grow up, or who you want to spend the rest of your life with – it is okay not even to know what you are doing tomorrow.

145
It's Normal To Be Lost In Your 20s
Elizabeth Zamudio's personal photo

It seems like we should all have our life together by the time we get in our 20s. That we should graduate from college and know what we want to do with our lives and our careers. That we should fall in love and have our fairy tale wedding planned out. That we should have our solid group of girlfriends to fall on and have our list of bridesmaids ready and mapped out. That we should have our 5-year plan stapled to our foreheads. That we should know what we want to do with our lives and how we're going to do it.

To be honest, it is all just lies.

I am 21-years-old, and I have absolutely no idea what I am doing with my life. Sure, I have a plan – I am about to graduate in eight months. But, for a while, I was freaking out about it. I am still freaking out about it most days – but I am slowly starting to realize that not having it all together is okay – actually, it is normal.

Why do we feel such immense pressure to have our lives all sorted and figured out in a neat and picture-perfect timeline? Why do we feel like we're never doing enough and we're not good enough at this stage in our lives?

Social media perhaps?

People spend more time on social networks and social media than they do doing anything else during the day – eating, working, going to the bathroom. It is no wonder that we are always pinning ourselves up against other people – destined for failure in the self-worth department.

The reality is, people on social media always seem to have their life together, but it is never really the case. The real issue lies between the essence that is social media entirely. We're comparing us behind the scenes lives with everyone else's highlight reel – they only show what they want us to see, not what their lives actually are.

The problem lies beneath all of the plans and the searching and the trying to figure it all out. We are so busy worrying about getting our lives together that we forget how to live.

It is okay not to know what you want to be when you grow up, or who you want to spend the rest of your life with – it is okay not even to know what you are doing tomorrow.

Life is a marathon, not a sprint, and the best way to make the most of your time while you're here is by living each moment like it is never coming back to you. Instead of worrying about getting everything right, we should be worried about living every moment to the fullest.

We as a society have taught young adults to plan more for the future. But in retrospect, we never even know what the future will hold. Many times, we are faced with the harsh and cold reality that life is just too damn short. Things happen and time is cut way too short for any of our "plans" to fall into place in the long run. If we are spending the majority of our youth planning for a future that may or may not work out, we just wasting our time.

The real way to have ourselves together is by making a life that we are happy living, and I do not mean 10 years down the road, I mean now. If you are living every day with a smile on your face, surrounded by people you love and going places you enjoy – to me, you have it all figured out.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

187943
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

13458
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

456788
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

25969
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments