We don't have to peak yet

One thing that I particularly hate about quarantine is that we're all left with a little too much time to think. 

I've uncovered secondary school memories that I thought were permanently exiled to the 'DESTROY' folder of my brain and now I can't quite keep the recurring cringe attacks at bay. Alongside constantly questioning my existence and why on earth 13-year-old Ranye decided to do THAT with her hair, I've been having the odd breakdown about why I'm not a published Vogue journalist and how on earth I'm gonna get there... and that ladies and ladies gentlemen is what today's post is all about. 

As a generation we're often accused of wanting to get rich and famous without ever having to do any 'real' work, but the truth is that we're just a bunch of over-achievers who've been told that if we don't study economics or STEM we're essentially done for. According to The Economist: Generation Z is stressed, depressed and exam-obsessed and yah that's pretty much spot on. We're not 'hungry for fame' but instead we're hungry for approval, validation and success, and the gut-wrenching feeling of never being good enough is worsened by the realisation that theoretically all your dreams could come true in a finger-snap.  Overnight anyone can become a total internet sensation and subsequently have the agency to do whatever the hell they want, there's no age limit and it's all down to a sprinkle of luck and dab of strategy - that's a pressure that no other generation has had to deal with. 

We don't have to peak, yet. 

I have this serious panic every month or so that if I don’t immediately get my sh*t together and start working on some master plan to be Anna Wintour by the age of 25, then my life will be over, and I'm sure that no matter what industry you've got your eye on breaking into you've had a similar internal crisis. 

me whenever I remember that we're entering a recession bc of corona

It's taken me being quarantined in the midst of a pandemic to realise that actually, I'm not going to be at the peak of my career by my 25th birthday and that's not an expectation that I should put on myself, or something that I should even want.

I'm literally just nineteen. 

I’d only just experienced what freedom felt like, as I'd finally busted out of the confines of my conservative Christian home and moved out for uni (sorry Mum & Dad but newsflash - not allowing your daughter to wear shorts is not all that progressive and would probably cause an uproar in the American Bible Belt, even the Mormons would think that’s going a bit too far). 

It's honestly hilarious that I've been putting so much pressure on myself to be Editor-in-chief ready when I've only just started to figure out my personal style. 

me to myself

I'm not going to stop working hard and trying to achieve my dreams because why on earth would I do that?!, but it’s also crucially important to remember that our careers don't have to reflect a sprint - they can also resemble an awful cross-country race i.e. you're a bit anxious at the start and it’s painful in the middle, but the finish line is worth it - and I find great comfort in that. 

When you seriously think about it, it makes sense that we're not good enough yet because we're not meant to be. We're not born excellent but we work hard to get there. As young adults, we should revel in the fact that we're not fully grown and don't have wrinkles or sleepless nights worrying about the future prospects of our bratty children.

Essentially, I just wanted to take some time out of my boring quarantine routine to say that we don't have to peak yet, we're okay, we're doing our best and it is enough.