<p>The mid-life crisis, where a person turning 50 instinctively finds the need to review his or her life, is an age-old concept. <br /><br /></p>.<p>And rightly so — after actively seeing the harsh realities of the world for so many years, it might be a good time to rethink the way they have been approaching things. Some find solace in spirituality; others come to terms with their nearing retirement. <br /><br />But a new type of evaluation period has arrived in the lives of some youngsters today — the ‘quarter-life crisis’. Questions on chosen career paths, relationships, marriage prospects and other elements of the past, present and future crop up, after which concrete answers and solutions are sought. <br /><br />“My friends call me a worrier because there’s always something I have to do, be it at home or work. But that’s who I am and have always been.<br /><br /> It’s a basic principle — if I’m employed by a company based on merit, I want to deliver the work I’m being paid for. However, at this juncture in life, I’m thinking of taking it easy. <br />It’s too burdensome being a perfectionist all the time,” confesses Meghana K, a young professional.<br /><br />For some, the crisis happens to be an existential one, where they start pondering over philosophical matters like the purpose of life and who they really are. “I’m confused — there are so many different ‘me’. There’s the one I am expected to be, the one who I want to be and the one I should be,” notes Divya Kamath, adding a profound statement: ‘life is a wonderful lie’. <br /><br />There are also a few who are beginning to get premature signs of an oncoming quarter-life crisis. At the age of 22, Bharat Prabhakar, a student, is trying to make sense of his life. <br /><br />“I’m about to finish my college this year and I have no clue what I want to do in life. <br />Does money buy me my freedom or do I let my passion rule? Is my education absolutely redundant if I choose to opt out and become a film-maker instead? What do my parents expect from me? How consequential are my actions in the larger scheme of things?<br /><br /> I want to make sure that I measure each and every step of mine. By the time I apply for a job, I should have a textbook resume. But then, do I simply wish to be a job-seeker?” he questions. <br /><br />“I can find solace in the fact that there is three-quarter of life yet left to find answers to all that. But that is essentially the paradox of life — you only find out how to do something perfectly after doing it,” concludes Bharat.<br /><br /></p>
<p>The mid-life crisis, where a person turning 50 instinctively finds the need to review his or her life, is an age-old concept. <br /><br /></p>.<p>And rightly so — after actively seeing the harsh realities of the world for so many years, it might be a good time to rethink the way they have been approaching things. Some find solace in spirituality; others come to terms with their nearing retirement. <br /><br />But a new type of evaluation period has arrived in the lives of some youngsters today — the ‘quarter-life crisis’. Questions on chosen career paths, relationships, marriage prospects and other elements of the past, present and future crop up, after which concrete answers and solutions are sought. <br /><br />“My friends call me a worrier because there’s always something I have to do, be it at home or work. But that’s who I am and have always been.<br /><br /> It’s a basic principle — if I’m employed by a company based on merit, I want to deliver the work I’m being paid for. However, at this juncture in life, I’m thinking of taking it easy. <br />It’s too burdensome being a perfectionist all the time,” confesses Meghana K, a young professional.<br /><br />For some, the crisis happens to be an existential one, where they start pondering over philosophical matters like the purpose of life and who they really are. “I’m confused — there are so many different ‘me’. There’s the one I am expected to be, the one who I want to be and the one I should be,” notes Divya Kamath, adding a profound statement: ‘life is a wonderful lie’. <br /><br />There are also a few who are beginning to get premature signs of an oncoming quarter-life crisis. At the age of 22, Bharat Prabhakar, a student, is trying to make sense of his life. <br /><br />“I’m about to finish my college this year and I have no clue what I want to do in life. <br />Does money buy me my freedom or do I let my passion rule? Is my education absolutely redundant if I choose to opt out and become a film-maker instead? What do my parents expect from me? How consequential are my actions in the larger scheme of things?<br /><br /> I want to make sure that I measure each and every step of mine. By the time I apply for a job, I should have a textbook resume. But then, do I simply wish to be a job-seeker?” he questions. <br /><br />“I can find solace in the fact that there is three-quarter of life yet left to find answers to all that. But that is essentially the paradox of life — you only find out how to do something perfectly after doing it,” concludes Bharat.<br /><br /></p>
