The weird pressure to always be productive in your teenage years

Many teenagers today silently struggle to keep up with the things they do. Being a teenager today feels like running in a race you never signed up for. Personally, I struggle too with studies, hobbies, expectations, and constant pressure to perform. People expect you to ace your academics, be absolutely good at your hobbies, and somehow be amazing at everything. Every time someone places that expectation on me, the very first expression I give is "Bro, I'm trying to relax. Please Stfu 🙏". I didn't sign up for this constant criticism, especially when I know I'm giving everything I've got.

You scroll through Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn and suddenly feel like everyone else is doing better than you. Someone's either building a million-dollar company at the age of 16, someone else is solving questions you still struggle with, or maybe someone who has a great physique at such a young age while you're slipping up on your diet.  

So yeah, maybe I'm not building a startup at 16, solving super tough questions in my sleep, or walking around with a great physique and being productive 24/7. But you know what? I wake up every day knowing I'm still doing better than most of them because I'm not chasing validation. I'm actually living a life that I enjoy. Learning new things, failing in the process, and growing. I'd rather be real than perfect.

I'm not in a race. I'm in my lane and I'm still winning.