I just got back from a college visit today and I had this sudden realization hit me that all of the stress, work and school is just a start to the rest of my life. I don't want to be in college working all the time because I'm too broke to afford anything. I don't want to be studying all of the time. Right now, I'm a senior in high school and between college prep, work, and extra-curriculars I have no time to actually sit down and watch a movie or hang out with my friends. I'm just scared that I'm going to be working the rest of my life like this and that I'll look in the mirror one day and realize the best years of my life just vanished.
Is this fear normal!?
Is this fear normal!?
The way I dealt with it was to reposition my opinion and try to enjoy work. I'm stuck with it so I may as well enjoy it and try to help the people I work with enjoy it too. So I try to keep smiling and make others laugh.
Until I win the lottery, it's the best thing I can do.
It's sad when a kid figures this out for the first time. We make life a series of preparations and rarely ever simply live in the moment without a thought to the future. Then as we get older, we become more and more used to doing this. I hate it, I really do.
So yes, it's normal!