Wait!!! Am I going through a quarter life crisis? Wow, have I already reached that milestone where I have experienced a quarter of my life???? A quarter full of experiences ranging from a carefree and loved childhood, fun filled school days, cozy hostel life, first job, first salary to awful assignments and one night stand with books before exams, struggle in a new city and heart breaks. Life has really been a roller coaster so far. But have I enjoyed this ride so much as I should have??? Well if not,,, what is the crisis all about?
I am 20 something, dealing with so much all by myself. There is no “Mommy” here to wipe off my tears and do things for me that I can’t. I am in the real world where I am solely responsible for my life. I have a job to succeed, a house to manage and relationships to keep up with. And this is so daunting. This is so scary, what if I falter, what if I fail, what if I break down???? But isn’t this something that I always wanted to have as a child? I always wanted to be “independent”, then why am I not able to enjoy it? Additionally, if this is me at the quarter, how am I going to handle the challenges awaiting on the other side of this life?
Let us rewind and go back to that state of mind where I was myself. When I was young I had limited thinking. I made efforts for things that were real and tangible. I had minimal and realistic expectations from those around me. But as I grew and learnt from the world, I began to overthink. Think on matters that were virtual and at times were not even true. Made a lot of effort to control things and when they went unrecognized I started doubting myself. This made me think I was weak, and I reached for things outside of me for support. These may be people, substance, religious faith and so on.
What needs understanding here is that as we are getting older, we are bound to face more challenges in our lives. We are bound to make more and more efforts to overcome these challenges. In this case it is obvious to be stressed out. But this does not mean that you are weak, but only means that you are working hard. To handle this stressful phase of life, practice making yourself stronger from within. Focus on yourself and your action. What happens externally is beyond your control. Only your actions lead you to your future. Always try to give in your 100 percent in anything you do. And do this to make yourself happy, and not anybody else. When you feel exhausted and drained, just stop and relax. Nothing is running away from you. Live every second of life to make your heart happy and content. Understand, that your loved ones, food, alcohol, god and everything else that you rely upon for support are meant to give you peace. They are not a means to escape from this stressful situation. Surely handling challenges is going to be tough, but take baby steps in learning to be completely responsible for yourself. Do not run away from challenges, do not be scared of stress, do not escape suffering. Enjoy what there is to enjoy and suffer what there is to suffer. Once this phase is over and the challenge is overcome, winter will turn back to spring. Until then endure life with a smile 🙂