When I was a kiddo, I really wanted to grow soonest as I was living in a delusion that being an adult would be so much fun. I would get to live my life as per my own terms and conditions without any struggles or hardships. Okay fine you’re allowed to laugh at this because it’s so hysterically yet painfully true. But obviously, when I hit my 20’s, I gradually started realizing that the world has so much for me to offer only if I’m ready to face the consequences with it. Well that’s when I hit my adulting era!
But here’s a subtle difference in my thoughts. I believe even though we are in the phase of being responsible and practical, we are still learning how to be one in some or the other way. So just thought of naming this blogpost as “Growing up while adulting”! Okay let’s be more candid here rather than discussing about why adulting is hard.
Let’s be real
Transitioning into adulthood often feels like entering a phase that you feel unprepared for. As an adult, you’re often on your own and are responsible for your own life. This realization can be overwhelming for lot of us who find it difficult to navigate the ups and downs of adulthood.
The lack of open conversation about “adulting” may stem from the perception that it’s a natural, inevitable transition, and therefore, not something that needs explicit discussion.
However, the challenges of navigating adulthood, from financial burdens to emotional adjustments, can be isolating for many young adults. Because along with freedom, responsibility, mindfulness, building a career, managing finances, paying bills, adulting also comes with loads of expectations, uncertainties, failures, disappointments, overwhelming reactions, pessimism, inferiority complex and over thinking. But that’s completely okay.
Adulthood is just one of the stages of your life. You still have a long way to go. I know this phase involves several ups and downs and you ought to make wise decisions but maturity doesn’t come overnight. There will be mistakes. The journey of adulting is different for everyone, and what works for some might not work for others. We need to find our own path, break down the tasks into smaller and make it less daunting. So breathe, ease out a bit and take one step at a time. This period also teaches you to be composed.
Enduring adult friendships
This topic requires a whole new blog coz I have a lot to talk about it. One of the most disturbing and affected bonds in adulthood is probably friendship. Just imagine, being a friend with someone for more than a decade, going through thick and thin, doing epic shit (pardon my language but that’s what homies do) and suddenly thinking how to break the ice with the same bunch of people as if we are meeting for the first time. You would be lying if you say it never happened with you. We all have faced this situation, given a thought, felt upset but still moved on while saying “ab woh baat nahi rahi”.
And by good fortune if you’re still great pals, you are not same anymore. You still want to hangout but in a quiet place where you can talk to each other instead of partying whole night. You still want to celebrate your wins or share your worries but in a calm way instead of showing excitement or nervousness and just blabbering out whatever your heart desires.
Yes, we all are going through this phase, thinking “how sad are we and then instantly realizing that we’re not sad, we are just not 21 anymore.” That’s what Joey, Chandler and Ross made us understand in their amusing manner (iykyk)
And then out of everyone, there are still 2-3 idiots with whom even if you’re talking after months, they will still make you feel happiest. There’s some kind of trust, mutual respect and a lot of understanding with these fellows. Just another instance of growing up being mature. I’m lucky enough to have those gems in my life. Shoutout to such low maintenance friendships.
Nothing just venting out
Bitter truth: It might hit you hard but no one really bothers listening to your worries after a certain point of time. I mean common, each one of us is dealing with our own mundane hassles. So stop cribbing about it everyday. It’s your life and only you know how to deal with it.
Sweet fact: Once you realize the former thing, you’ll start loving all those li’l bitterness because of which you were feeling mentally exhausted. So keep growing up while adulting.
Good news?
You’re not alone in this struggle. Adulting isn’t about perfection, it’s more about learning, adapting and forgiving ourselves for not having all the answers. Some days we’ll be productive and the other days, we’ll just survive- and that’s okay. We need to remember that being an adult means also taking care of ourselves and our mental and emotional needs. Because at the end of the day, we’re all just growing up. Honestly, I just unleashed my thoughts in this write up but I hope you could also somehow connect with it. Feel free to show your love in the comment section. Happy adulting!