What the hell am I doing?
“I’m 27 and stuck in a rut. The party has started, but I’m late because I haven’t decided which face I should wear yet. The one where I pretend as though my life is going perfectly just doesn’t fit today. It hasn’t fit for a while…”
Growing up in the 21st century is tough. In a world where access to cutting edge technology has allowed us to become more connected with our peers and the wider society, adopting social constructs is almost inevitable. The social construct of ‘Life before 30’ seemed like light work at 18 years of age. Yet here I am a 27 year old black woman, who has graduated from two prominent UK universities, with some practical experience under my belt, a great network of friends and role models — but not exactly where I envisioned myself at this stage of my life…
Contrary to this ‘Life before 30’ timeline, I am not waking up on a Monday morning in my own house/apartment, getting ready to start my day at my ideal ‘9–5’ job in an incredible city, whilst nurturing a growing start-up business, and halfway up the aisle to marry the man of my dreams. In fact, most Monday mornings I wake up (still living with my parents) and think, “What the hell am I doing and what is my purpose in life?!”. And most of the time, that’s all it ever is; a 10-second thought that doesn’t materialise into an extravagant plan of action. Thus, further enabling me to uncomfortably exist in a world that’s all about perception — ‘making it big!’ and ‘making it now!’.
For many, the notion of Adulthood is achieved when a person completes his/her schooling, moves away from home, obtains a full-time job and achieves financial independence from their parents. For previous generations these milestones were accomplished in their mid-20s, but many of us aren’t achieving this until we are in our 30s.
So… What does that make me? What will I become? Will I ever make it to my Purpose Land? These are common questions I’m sure many of you can relate to — and probably ask yourselves frequently. But what these questions tend to do is force us to put pressure on ourselves, but with a very limited understanding of the process.
I wouldn’t call myself a writer, and aside from the occasional times a douchebag has put my heart in a blender, I’m far from expressive. Yet, a 2am thought after a weekend of binging on an addictive Netflix series, led me to the realisation that life is a journey.
Our greatest lessons are learnt in our most stagnant periods. Not everything falls into place at a specific time; but this doesn’t mean that it never will. All of our dreams and aspirations are attainable — I mean Oprah wasn’t built in a day, right?
As a young person living in the 21st century, it is so important to hold on to the reality of what can be. I’ve finally discovered the beauty of ‘failing early, failing often but always failing forward’ (John C. Maxwell; Failing Forward).
By collating a series of short stories based on personal and other individuals’ experiences, this platform unpacks this process of ‘Adulting’ in the 21st century — in a REAL way. Exploring life — unfiltered and beyond social constructs, where things are gradually starting to fall into place, albeit just a little bit later than anticipated…
Welcome to The L8 Bloomers. A platform for and by the typical millennial, experiencing the complexities of navigating adulthood in the 21st Century.
Follow @thel8bloomers