Falling Headfirst Into Adulthood

Growing up is inevitable. The idea of leaving your childhood home and facing the real world, with all its responsibilities, can be overwhelming. We try to fight it, but eventually reality sets in. We slip away from the path our parents paved for us and into the undergrowth, desperate for something familiar, a hand to guide us through the maze that is the real world.

Living through nostalgic memories of a childhood brimming with joy and laughter; sipping hot drinks around the fire on Christmas Eve while binge-watching Harry Potter; sitting on the end of my sister’s bed as we gossip about her first boyfriend.

Realising you cannot live vicariously through childhood memories is when the fear sets in—the newfound responsibility of adulthood.

Or is this a new chapter? Is this the start of something great?

I know exactly what I want my life to look like, and to some that’s a privilege. Having a direction, picking your path and actually sticking with it. Or is it just more pressure. Knowing what you want to do and who you want to be, having all of these expectations for yourself. But what if I don't meet these expectations?

The mind of every 17-year-old races with these thoughts. Some know exactly what they want and yearn for it: to be successful, to be one of the greats, or just to be remembered. To prove to our parents that we can find our own way through this maze of a world and that we can do it by ourselves.

But what if we do not know how?

When everyone around you seems to know exactly what they want and how they are going to get it, you might feel like you have tried everything. You have exhausted all options and just accepted that perhaps you do not have a passion for anything. How can you tell people that? Are you supposed to have your whole life figured out and planned at the age of 17? Everyone says you do not need to, so why does it feel like you do?

The pressure on teenagers at such a young age can be crippling. The reality is that the majority of people go through life not knowing where their ambition lies, and that is normal. If you have everything figured out, then you should do everything within your ability to live up to the standards you have set for yourself and continue to excel. However, most people navigate life by taking one day at a time and seizing every opportunity that comes their way.

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