NOT ENOUGH

By Navneet Parab

July 9, 2020

The pandemic. Not the COVID19 one. But an ever increasing and dangerous spread of self doubt amongst us, the youth. After countless online courses, internship applications and council interviews, still the doubt lingers... was it enough?

It’s been around three months since the lockdown was initiated. I must say, these three months were probably the most wild yet at the same time, some of the most mundane moments of our lives. As much as the world was (and still is) battling a virus outbreak we were still struggling with how to adjust to this new normal. One where spare time was at abundance, yet the spirit and passion for doing something new, something we pushed aside as ‘can’t do with college pressure’ was absent.

I tried my hand at several activities, certainly failed at some but also excelled at few. But for the most part that satisfaction was temporary. A simple Instagram story of someone having completed some project or a tweet of someone acquiring an internship at some big tech were at times enough to generate self doubt. Small, sweet accomplishments were easily blown away by the cruel action of self doubt. I understand that EVERYONE experiences this self doubt. That we aren’t doing enough. But I wish to tell you that YOU’RE DOING GREAT.

We all are on a journey called Life. But everyone has a different path, different obstacles, different goals. You might have finished three online courses by now but still wondering if it was enough? Reduced weight by five kilos... was it enough? Learned how to code in two languages... was it enough? It was never not enough. However, your victories may seem insignificant to you, they always call for an appreciation, for yourself, by yourself.

We live in an age, wherein it is very easy to get demotivated and feel dwarfed by our peers’ victories. But you shouldn’t worry. Life isn’t as linear as one expects. Take pride in your achievements. Don’t be afraid to embrace your failures. Take a step back and appreciate your journey. Time spent over excessive self doubt only degrades your mental health. Don’t lose yourself in trying to chase someone else.

These are weird times, with weird circumstances. A sudden shift in our life’s timetable. Everyone has their own way of reacting and adjusting to it. Don’t fall for comparing your’s to everyone else. Your sanity and happiness is yours, always claim it.