Growing Up

As kids, we were often badgered with millions of thoughts- thoughts that originated from what we saw, what we were told, or what we heard. School was a place of excitement, fun, and learnings, which would later on instil a feeling of nostalgia whenever reminisced about later when we grew up to college. Our imagination knew no bounds, and we sought content with the feeling of happiness little things brought about- from being allowed to eat ice cream late at night to getting the toy we always wanted. With time, as we grow older, from being a kid, a teenager, and finally an adult, I realised this whole process of growing up is far more than just our age being increased with every year passing by. The plethora of feelings we associate with every period of our lives vary, because the person we were, even one year ago, would be very different to the person we are now.

As teenagers, we feel empowered to make our own decisions- decisions which we feel are right, taken on an omniscient feeling at the time. I remember the time I turned 13, I was filled with mixed emotions, because till that point of time, I was told teenage is going to be a bit confused, and it’s a phase where you figure out who you are. The fact that people will identify me as a teenager honestly made me feel really grown up and important. That phase is unique in its own way. Every bad situation I found myself in made me feel like it’s the end of the world, and every good situation made me feel like I’m on top of the world, because of the depth of emotions I felt that time. It then after a while doesn’t even seem like a big deal, and I laughed it off, keeping those learnings only with me from every mistake I made. Each and every experience led us more to self-discovery. During this phase, our personality develops slowly, shaped by the forces around us. I was given the freedom to choose my academic stream by my parents, and was encouraged to go after what I wanted, for which I’ll always be grateful for, as it was their trust in a teenager that led to my open-mindedness, and increased my level of understanding of the pros and cons of every decision I take in my life.

Everybody tells you what being an adult is like, what you should do, but until we enter that period, we can’t really ascertain as to how it would turn out. It feels different for everybody. Some may have already figured out who they are and their purpose in life, while some still are yet to do so. I think it’s the process of figuring out oneself is what makes the end result really beautiful. The important thing to remember while growing up is that everybody has their own journey to share and their own experiences to live. It’s your story. One should avoid comparing, and be proud of their journey, of how far they’ve come. I remember the feeling of fear I felt when I turned 20 this year, as to how old I am, and how I’ll never be a teenager again. But with that fear came the realization that it’s just a number, and rather than being worried about my age, I should be excited to try out new things, ponder over how I can step out of my comfort zone, find ways to make this year, or every year for that matter one to remember. We can’t stop time (though I would love to freeze time and be an 18 year old forever) or predict the future. But what we can do is simply embrace this beautiful process of growing up to be better individuals. Growing up is hard, but it is with that growth that makes you who you are now. There will always be moments when we doubt ourselves, but when you look back and see how far you’ve come, how much you’ve grown, those doubts should pave the way for you to become a confident individual. There will always be more room for growth, as learning doesn’t have a deadline. It’s a perpetual process. Likewise, as quoted by a character in my favourite TV show as a kid, life’s a climb, but the view’s great.