Adjusting to "The Real World"

Feeling lost? Maybe you just graduated school and don't know where to go from here. Maybe you lay in your bed at night thinking about the future. Don't sweat it because you aren't the only one. This is a stage in life. It's not a stage they tell you about though. The structure of life that we knew is gone. Think about it...ever since you can remember you have probably been in school where your main priority was to make good grades. You had people around you telling you to study. Your teachers gave you tests and graded you. Now that that's gone you feel lost.

It makes sense too. Think about this...you are so used to people teaching you, testing you and basically giving you attention. School = attention. Now that you're in the "real world" there is no one giving you attention outside of close ones. Jobs aren't going to test you...if you screw up you are gone. The real transition is getting used to not being the consumer anymore. You are the product now. That's the real world.

So this probably leads a lot of us twenty somethings to a stage of depression. We don't have anyone waiting on us anymore. I've noticed that a lot of people can't cope with it and decide to go back to college. I'm all for getting as much as an education as you can but make sure you're not staying in college to avoid becoming a product of this world. It's pretty much unavoidable but it's not a bad thing. It's another stage that we all will get through in time. The goal is to find something that you love that can sustain you. Be the product that you love and don't lose sleep over trying to figure it out. It will come to you. And always remember these "lost" times will be one of those things that we all will look back on and laugh at.

P.S. - If you have kids please don't give them a hard time when they are "lost" in their twenties. Remember when you were there too...and let them try living in New Zealand if they want...they'll find their way.