THE YOUNG & OVEREXPOSED // INTRO
We are generation overexposed. We are overexposed to (mis-)information, overexposed to expectations, overexposed to pop culture, to high-caloric & low-nutrition food, to addictive substances, to job opportunities and to corporations fighting for our attention through their addictive & mind-numbing apps.
In this short blog series, I lay out some of the common modern struggles and I share my personal key learnings as a twentysomething in 2019.
Why did I start writing this? Some context…
First and foremost, I would like to state that I am a very privileged and well-off human being. Together with my little sister (who I love with all my heart), I was raised by two loving and hard-working parents who made sure we had everything we could have wanted back then.
But somehow — ever since leaving the homefront — I have been struggling to just be happy. Being content. Being at peace with myself and my context, acknowledging & enjoying everything and everyone around me.
The past two years have been quite transformative for me and I learned a great deal about life and myself. My personal mini-journey started in the summer of 2017, when I felt a deep and prolonged sense of misery. Looking back, it can probably be attributed to a toxic mix of graduating from college, an unhealthy obsession with cryptocurrency trading and a general sense of lethargy during the hot summer months.
In this brief period I found a great deal of support in the unconditional love & hospitality of my parents and being around select friends, who would pick my brain over a good meal. A dear friend inspired me to go travel on my own and suggested some interesting places to visit. That same night I booked.
During my two-week solo trip through Central Europe, I learned that life (and myself as a person) is more enjoyable when not driven by the mind. Living day-to-day, feeling instead of thinking, minimizing exposure to the digital world. During my trip, I also experienced that one cannot escape a troubled mind; problems are best dealt with whilst close to the people you care about. This learning was driven home when my family (including the dog) was waiting for me at the airport as a surprise. It made me feel a deep sense of belonging and love that since sticked with me.
Ever since that summer, I’ve been striving to become a more introspective and spiritual human being. I had the privilege to learn fast through a two-year (and counting) personal rollercoaster, featuring a traineeship that kicked me into hustling mode back in 2017, doing freelance gigs, an intense crypto bull- & bear market cycle and joining a wonderful fast-growing startup early. Through these posts, I challenge myself to condense my personal learnings of the past two (jam-packed) years into bite-sized pieces that my fellow millennials can chew on.
What I hope to achieve with this
I feel like a lot of people my age are struggling to find a modus operandi in these complex times. My personal hope is that these posts are somewhat relateable and inspire fellow-youngsters to explore different perspectives on whatever issues or difficulties you are facing. Bear with me as I try to dissect our common modern struggles; who knows there’s some wisdom to be found. :)
First piece will be out next week!
Peace and love, Deniz
