The stage we call “neither child nor adult,” where we oscillate between childlike innocence within the warmth of family and the worry for the future, and try to move forward with the urge of “I should pave my own path”: Youth. It’s a period we enter without realizing and yet hesitate to leave for some reason.
I believe that this phase, like every other phase of our lives, has its own gains: increased responsibilities or sense of duty… While this concept plays an undeniable role at every age and in every aspect of life, we can truly comprehend its importance only when the time comes. Perhaps we took our first steps on this path by tidying up our toys or choosing our clothes ourselves. We continued by submitting our assignments on time. Though we encounter our real responsibilities as we grow older, we learn to be accountable and to take responsibility for the consequences of our actions through these steps, and we are still learning.
In the path we choose, we are always obliged to add a new step, sometimes willingly, sometimes only driven by the desire to reach a destination. Sometimes we need ant-sized steps to overcome a small bump, and sometimes we require leaps to conquer a hill that appears as large as a mountain in our eyes, but we don’t always find the same motivation.
Why do people fear responsibility? Avoiding responsibility means never embarking on the journey, despite the desire to reach the outcome and get closer to the goal by taking up the task. Fearing responsibility is an indication that we at least have a goal, but we are seeking the motivation that helps us overcome that bump that grows like a mountain in our minds; it is a sign of our growth.
When I think about the responsibilities I fear and run away from, the first answer that comes to my mind is the fear of failure. Is there any benefit to sitting in a corner, trying not to stumble over a few pebbles on the path to achieving our desires, or being afraid of falling and worrying that someone might witness it? As someone who strives to fulfill their responsibilities, I say, let’s not fear stumbling! One day, when we look back and see the roads we’ve traveled and the taste of success we’ve savored, we will feel the growth within us.
Let’s not forget; if our circumstances don’t make us feel confined, it means we haven’t grown enough to feel the need to break out of our shell.
