It was a while ago that I came across a tweet reading: 'There is so much pressure to achieve everything by a certain age and have it all together. Do everything in your own time.' (@frogirlginny) It made me really think about how nowadays, particularly with social media, how young people can become so successful - And how this effects those who are perhaps the same age, and not as 'successful.' Of course there are different ways in which people can define 'success,' whether it's reaching milestones in your life, wealth, or quality of life. For someone, having earned millions might be classed as successful, or for someone else that might be a roof over their head and a family. For me personally, in terms of my career path, success will be starring in a film - To put it as simply as possible. With this goal, there is the tendency for me to be worried in never achieving this goal by a certain age, as when I was younger in high school or even primary school, I'd have thought my 20 year old self today would be already there. In reality, I'm still working towards that goal, and it's become more apparent recently how my younger self had placed so much pressure on themselves.
In a conversation with a friend the other month, I had mentioned the fact that we were in complete different points in our lives. My friend has a 'proper' job (I say proper, because she has an actual wage) she has her own car, and I began to notice how the factor of wealth played into this for me. It was then I also came to the realisation that although we were at different points in our lives, that didn't necessarily mean that we were on the same path. My path might just be a little longer than hers, that is before I reach a stage in my life were I can class myself as 'successful.'
If we take the example of social media from before, people's success can be featured heavily, as from day to day we see others achieve goals. If they're then the same age as you, or heaven forbid younger than you, it can feel a little disheartening and at times worrying when comparing yourself to them. This is a key point to note, the idea of comparison, and how that can make us feel. If I've learned anything from my first year at drama school, it's not to compare myself, as that only pressures myself even more both personally and academically. By learning to accept that you're on a different path to somebody else, and not comparing your level of success, I think that achieving becomes much more worthy.
Pressures can also arise from publications from the likes of Forbes with their 30 Under 30, celebrity news, or even in real life with family and friends. If you follow a celebrity on social media, for example with me and an actor like Maisie Williams, we're both 20 years old but I can assure you she is much more successful than me in terms of her career. But then again, the opportunities that she's had with Game of Thrones at such a young age, brings her success to this day. Maisie Williams has been given a different path to me, and the one that I've been given is the one I must take control of, one that I can change, and hopefully bring me to the same brilliant success that she has had. In terms of actors, some only achieve success much later in life, as I understand that this industry is a tricky one to crack to say the least.
From this topic, I suppose my meaning behind it was to bring to light how we 1) Perceive success and 2) Compare success in terms of how young we are. Of course those who are young and successful have surely worked hard to get to where they are, and can also inspire others to do the same. Whatever career path or life you have chosen, don't be pressured by a number of years that you have left, as in the past that's exactly what I've done - Only to be left disheartened when I haven't reached it. It may be that your time hasn't come around yet, and I've always made the comment to my friends and family that for me 'slow and steady wins the race.' All I wish for, is that the end prize of that race is my dream film role (And if I can, maybe star with someone like Jen Lawrence or Leo DiCaprio, I'm not asking for much am I?)
What are your thoughts?
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