Weve all heard about thequarter-life crisis. Its when 20-somethings reach the middle of their 20s and have anoverwhelming sense of What is my life? Then, a period of self-reflection and self-evaluation ensues. Im no stranger to those feelings. I recently turned 25 and everyone asked me how it felt knowing I was turning 25, and commenting on how old I had become. Basicallythe typical questions one asks someone when they reach a milestone age. The most common response I gave always revolved around feelings of uncertainty, but also around a sense of status-quo. I may now be halfway through my 20s, but it hasnt been as defining or life altering as its made out to be.
Since Ive turned 25, Ive gotten engaged, worked on myrelationships,my finances, my career, my education and my inner being. The quarter-life crisis, in my opinion, is a label thats been given to 20-somethings who dont have their life together at all. I can totally see that aspect of my peers who havent quite figured out dating and relationships, who are still searching for careers, who are still trying to manage what they want to be and how they want to present themselves. The problem at the core of the quarter-life crisis label is that its an identity25-year-olds are expected to take on. Its a label thats been placed upon this age group by society because were not old enough to know what we want, who we want to be with or how to handle our own personal dilemmas. But when I think about my peers, I dont see many of them having that quarter-life crisis thats so heavily talked about all the time.What I see are my friends making informed, (more often than not) wise decisions for themselves they can be proud of. Theyre not making life-changing decisions that are so far out of left field because theyre in panic mode, or because nothing is working out for them. The other problem with the quarter-life crisis is that its been eclipsed by societys latest label,Millennial. The descriptiveness of who and what Millennials are continues to be altered as society sees fit. Were supposed to be a generation of entitled, lazy, unmotivated individuals, who are all struggling to make it in this thing called the real world. False.
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As my peers continue to navigate through their 20s, advancing in their careers, various stages of their relationships and financially, I see a generation of individuals breaking the mold set upon them by societal expectations. For every lazy, spoiled, entitled Millennial Ive met, Ive also met three who defy the stereotype. The biggest change in the quarter-life crisis is that our belief system as a whole continues to shift and my peer group, those in their now mid-to-late20s are coming to grips with understanding theres room for improvement, but that it can only be done if they do it themselves. You can lead the horse to water but you cant make it drink. This statement has never rang more true. Instead of wallowing in the pity of turning 25 or not being happy with where you are at this milestone, its up to you to go out and change it. My generation has continued to push the boundaries and experiment with other avenues of reaching their goals. Theyre not afraid of failure, theyre not afraid of settling and theyre certainly not afraid to deviate from their families expectations of them.
The most fascinating part of thequarter-life crisis is that its become a renaissance period of sorts for the individuals who are reaching the age of 25. Yes, many individuals may have had to check their ego at the door and re-evaluate their priorities in life in order to get back on the right track, but thats become more and more acceptable. As our country sits on the precipice of a history-making election, this generation is no longer afraid to let societal pressures overcome their willingness to succeed. Next time you think about asking someone about their quarter-life crisis ask them about their plans for the future, even if theyre just short-term. Focus on the positives and on what they want to accomplish, not on their shortcomings or failures. Lets make America great again by making our peers feel valued, not worthless.
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