“THE WEIGHT OF SEVENTEEN “

Everyone says , “you’re still young”, but somehow everyday feels like countdown. A countdown to exams, careers, responsibilities, expectations, and a future you’re somehow supposed to have figured out.

Some days I feel incredibly motivated. I make plans, study , journal, dream about the life I want, and genuinely believe I’ll get there. Other days, even getting out of bed feels like an achievement. And then comes the guilt for resting, for not doing enough, for feeling behind.

I’ve spent so much time comparing my progress to everyone else’s that I forget growth isn’t a race. Some people bloom early. Some bloom quietly. Neither is wrong.

I’m not the same person I was a year ago. I’ve made mistakes, lost people, learned lessons the hard way and outgrown versions of myself I thought would last forever. Looking back, I don’t miss who I was. I just appreciate everything that version of me survived to become who I am today.

Being a teenager isn’t about finding yourself. It’s about loosing part of yourself, rebuilding, changing your mind and learning that becoming a better person happens in small , ordinary moments.

I dont have everything figured out. Maybes no one does.

For now, I’ll keep showing, one day at a time. Maybe that’s what growing up really is.