An alarming increase in young adults feels anxiety for more extended periods than any previous generation.
Why is that?
Well, maybe it’s because of:
- Social media
- Academic pressure
- Economic uncertainty
- Political uncertainty
- Social dynamic changes
And many more.
But there are two commonalities among them: that they each give a plethora of choices and that we recognize those choices as possibilities.
That we’re free to choose what to do in a world filled with possibilities is a terrifying thought to have.
Through social media, we discovered that there is more to life than what we initially imagined.
With economic and political uncertainty, we’re painfully aware of our current standing and what we can—or can’t—do to make ends meet.
We’re forced to look beyond the surface and reexamine our lives in an ongoing performance without extended breaks.
That is where our anxiety comes from: not from the burden of having no options, but from the unbearable weight of having too many.
And no other person has phrased it better than how Søren Kierkegaard did 181 years ago:
“Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom.”
So what now?
How do we pick the right choice without worrying that we’ve chosen the wrong choice?
It’s hard to know what is right or wrong, but here’s a suggestion:
Experiment.
Act on whatever interests you.
Listen carefully to what is happening to you.
And fail boldly in every attempt that aims to change your well-being.
You’ll notice that the more you act, the more signs will appear before you, almost as if they’re saying you’re on the right path.
But you must do so with an unreasonable amount of certainty.
In a way, you must be certain about the uncertainty of your life.
To have conviction that what you’re doing is right in a world filled with noise and confusion will lead you to places you had never envisioned.
But only if you take advantage of your anxiety.
So take it, and walk with conviction.
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.
Henry David Thoreau