I was listening to a podcast this morning between Fearne Cotton and Anne Marie, in where they were revelling in the fact that being normal is good enough for them, and that in fact, they wouldn't wish any other way. It really got me thinking because I had this inkling that maybe THIS was the fundamental cause of so much of my anxiety as I prepare to search for my post-grad options.
It almost feels like every time I go on LinkedIn, I swear SOMEONE has been awarded a god-knows-what-xyz award, came in the top 10% of their cohort (seriously how is it mathematically possible for there there to be so many 10%ers), and will be working at Facebook/MBB/Google/some gigantic private investment bank etc. etc. etc.
I'd graduated with a first class degree from a top university and am doing an internship at a pretty decent firm and I STILL feel like I'm just not doing 'enough'. Like I need to sign up to more competitions, start my own company, win any award I can get my hands on or create the next climate solving innovation. Okay, maybe those were an exaggeration. But still - it captures the deep hole I often find myself falling into.
It's so easy for me to forget that like any social media platform - like instagram - linkedin is also highly curated. Only the most successful people post on there, primarily to share their accomplishments. But I feel like that's also where the problem lies. Sure I can stop looking at it and being so affected by it, but its undeniable that there is so much pressure put on us in our 20's to be doing something incredible/amazing/awe-inspiring. Just being normal, can sometimes feel like it's below average.
So here's a reminder to myself, and to anyone else who might feel this way - NORMAL IS OKAY. In fact, it's more than okay. As long as we're surrounded by the people we love, have a roof over our heads and the time to do the things we love, then life is good. There's absolutely nothing wrong with just living a normal life. It's a message that warrants reminding, and a very good one to remember.