by Czarhytha Ais Omaguing
In your twenties, people expect you to already have everything planned outโyour college program, your goals, and the future you want to live. At first, everything may seem clear, but as expectations grow heavier, the future that once felt certain can suddenly become confusing and overwhelming. Sometimes, the more we pressure ourselves to stay ahead, the more lost we become.
Many of us silently carry the fear of wasting our abilities and disappointing both ourselves and the people who believed in us. It mirrors the pressure many young people feel when they begin doubting whether they are truly capable of reaching the future they once envisioned. Growing older feels exciting until expectations begin to weigh heavier than dreams. We spend years sacrificing, taking risks, and making difficult decisions, hoping they will someday lead us to the life we imagined. Yet sometimes, we cannot help but ask ourselves: ๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ค๐ค ๐๐๐ ๐ค๐ฃ๐ก๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐๐ค๐ข๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐? ๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ก ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐จ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐๐๐๐จ ๐ ๐ข๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ก๐ก ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ๐๐๐ง๐?
This reflects the loneliness of struggling internally while everyone else seems to be doing well. We live in a world where everyone walks different paths, shaped by different opportunities, fates, and even luck. Because of this, comparison becomes almost unavoidable. We begin measuring our progress against the achievements of others until self-doubt quietly takes over. Questions begin lingering in our minds: ๐ผ๐ข ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ก๐ก๐ฎ ๐๐ค๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ก? ๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐ค ๐ ๐๐๐๐ก ๐ก๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐? ๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐ค๐๐จ ๐๐ฉ ๐จ๐๐๐ข ๐จ๐ค ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ง๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ช๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ง๐ช๐๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐?
โthis is me tryingโ by Taylor Swift captures the fear of failure, the weight of expectations, and the emotional struggle of trying to become the person we have always dreamed of becoming. The song reflects how growing older can feel overwhelming when our dreams, sacrifices, and self-worth become tied to success. Even with fear, uncertainty, pressure, and the possibility of failure, there is still courage in continuing to move forward. Sometimes, trying your best despite feeling lost is already a form of strength.
In the end, the fear of failure is not simply about success or defeat, but about the possibility of never becoming the version of ourselves we have spent our whole lives chasing.
