A glimpse at the realities of life from a tired 20-something
Adulthood was supposed to feel like freedom. Like finally having control over your life, your time, your money, your space. Instead, it often feels like juggling too many responsibilities while the world crumbles around you. You wake up, check your phone, and within five minutes you’ve already seen devastating news, checked your dwindling bank account, and remembered at least three things you forgot to do yesterday. Then, somehow, you’re expected to go out into the world and be “productive.”
This isn’t what we signed up for. But it’s where we are. And truthfully, it can be exhausting.
Trying to build a life in 2025 feels like trying to sprint through quicksand. Rent keeps climbing while wages remain the same. Groceries feel like a luxury. Gas prices change like moods. And we’re somehow still expected to invest, save, drink more water, go to therapy, keep up with friends, stay in shape, remain “mentally strong,” and make something of ourselves. All while pretending like we aren’t silently freaking out about the state of the world.
It’s not laziness, it’s burnout. So many of us are overworked, underpaid, emotionally drained, and just trying to stay afloat. There’s this toxic idea that if you’re not constantly grinding, you must not want success bad enough. But in reality, many of us are running on empty. We’re tired of fighting to prove ourselves. Tired of trying to turn survival into success stories. Tired of pretending like everything’s okay when we’re just trying to keep it together.
And don’t even get me started on the pressure to keep up. Every day it feels like someone your age is buying a house, starting a business, getting engaged, or moving across the world. Meanwhile, you’re sitting at home, debating whether to eat real food or stretch that last $14 until Friday. It’s hard not to compare. It’s hard not to feel behind. It’s hard not to wonder if you missed the step everyone else seemed to catch.
But here’s the thing, dreams still live here. Even in the chaos. Even in the middle of everything falling apart. Even when you feel stuck. Just the act of holding onto a vision for your life, no matter how foggy it may feel, is a kind of resistance. And no, maybe you’re not where you want to be yet. Maybe your goals are on pause or evolving. That doesn’t mean you’re failing. That means you’re human.
There’s no perfect pace. No set timeline. No one way to navigate this mess. Success doesn’t always look like a new job or a big announcement. Sometimes, it looks like getting out of bed. Sometimes it looks like sending one email, applying for one opportunity, and making one healthy choice. And that counts.
You don’t have to perform peace to prove you’re healing. You don’t have to constantly post wins to prove you’re growing. Just existing with intention in a world like this is enough.
So what now? Now we rest when we need to. We give ourselves grace. We talk about what we’re feeling instead of pretending everything’s fine. We support each other, love louder, and laugh harder. We show up as best we can. And sometimes, that looks like sitting down and doing nothing for a minute. Because you deserve that.
Yes, rent is due. Yes, the world is on fire. But so are you. And your fire isn’t chaos, it’s resilience. It’s softness. It’s the quiet strength of still trying, even when everything around you says quit.
You might not have everything figured out right now. But you’re still here. You’re still going. And that is more than enough.
Kyrah Page is currently a student at Lincoln University. She is also the CEO and founder of her own brand called “Keepin’ It Kultured.” Where she combines art with activism to empower, inspire and educate the Black community. She advocates for change, promotes black positivity, and addresses controversial issues. Kyrah is many things but most importantly she is an activist.
