To The One Feeling Lost,
You log onto your Instagram account and see one of your old high school classmates standing in Times Square with the caption “finally a New Yorker.” You go onto Facebook and you see another one of your old friends in Mykonos with his girlfriend having the time of his life. You keep scrolling down and all you seem to see are these happy and successful people. Meanwhile, you’re stuck in the same small town, going to community college, and have done nothing exciting with your life yet. So, you turn off your computer and go to bed, feeling completely lost in your life.
You had plans. Great, big plans for your life. You still do but they’re at the back of your mind. You wonder what happened to the ambitious and strong-willed high school student that you were before. That person knew exactly what she wanted to do with her life: go to college or university, study, have a great job in New York City after graduation, backpack across Europe, and so much more. The plan was set in stone. But along the way, life happened, and the plan began to move further and further away from you. And now, you’re stuck with this lost feeling and don’t know what to do with your life.
On top of this, social media has become an accessory to this warped reality of always looking happy and successful, even when you’re not. When you log onto your accounts, you often see pictures that are masked with smiles and filters. You don’t see the panic attacks, homesickness, and the doubts these people in the pictures have in the middle of the night. Because of this, you feel pressured to be as happy and successful as these people. But really, there’s so much you don’t see; You don’t see the bad times. So, a piece of advice: do not be bothered by the pictures you see on social media. It’s not worth your time.
Your plans may not have played out right away for whatever reason, but they will.
I want to make sure you know that everything takes time. In the meantime, take this moment to appreciate your blessings and do all the things you were too afraid to do. Doing this will help you clear your mind, and perhaps help you find a new passion or hobby that could help you in the future. It’s all about patience, my friend, and just like the old adage says, “good things come to those who wait.”
If failure has come your way and has made you feel lost, then you need to learn to accept it. Embrace the failure because if you don’t fail then you will never learn from your mistakes. If you need a reminder of this, just look at Oprah Winfrey, J.K. Rowling, and Steven Spielberg, who have all failed in the past before experiencing greatness. So, don’t be afraid of it because you need to fail in order to be successful.
Don’t worry. Everyone goes through this phase in their lives. Whether you’re 50-years-old or 18, you’re bound to experience it because it’s part of growing up. If you’re lucky enough to know exactly what to do with your life right from the very beginning without any influences and interruptions, then perhaps you won’t feel as lost. But remember that life is never easy; it’s meant to be difficult and challenging to prepare you for anything and everything that comes your way.
Feature Image via Pexels
