Vishal Srivastava Newsletter

Shores of Safety, The Sea of Unknown

Hello friend,

Sometimes I wish I was like other people.

I don’t mean I feel special in any way. I mean the sense of disconnection I feel when I look at the people of my age.

They seem to have a crystal-clear clarity of what they want in their career and life in general.

They have been to top colleges. They are working with their dream companies. They seem to be thriving in their jobs. They have a happening social life.

Many of them are in relationships. They seem happy and excited about getting engaged, planning their marriage, buying their first cars, moving into new houses, getting a dog, or even having a kid.

In other words, they seem to have figured out their lives.

On the other hand, I still feel uncertain about what I really want.

In my 20s, I never ran after a big corporate job, a fat pay cheque, or a fancy degree like MBA that apparently makes your life secure.

I studied liberal arts after mechanical engineering purely out of curiosity and excitement for learning. I am working in marketing as a natural progression of my love for writing and digital marketing.

Some of my kind friends say that it is so cool to have these diverse interests.

But it feels like a shit scary place at times.

My vision for the future remains as foggy as ever.

I don’t really have a career plan. I have never been in a long-term relationship. I rarely think about “settling down” except for occasional prompts by my parents and relatives when I am home.

These thoughts have only intensified recently as I reluctantly march towards my 30th birthday next month.

Maybe these thoughts are the signs of an impending pre-midlife crisis.

I am no longer supposed to have such thoughts. I am supposed to have some clarity by now. I am supposed to take care of my health. I am supposed to be thinking about “settling down.”

It reminds me of this dialogue from Avengers: Endgame when Thor’s mother tells him,

“Everyone fails at who they are supposed to be. The measure of a person, of a hero, is how well they succeed at being who they are.”

And who am I really?

I don’t know yet.

At present, I know that I sense a call for adventure away from the shores of safety into the sea of unknown. I feel scared looking at the big waves of uncertainty, yet I also feel the excitement of finding a treasure reserved for a few brave explorers.

What matters is taking that leap of faith and answering that call for adventure!

Have you ever felt like you’re supposed to be someone you are not?

How do you deal with the uncertainty about an unknown future?

Hit reply to share your thoughts!

That is all from me this week!

Until next time
Love
Vishal