Loading… 12%
Loading… 37%
Loading… 62%
We’re used to progress bars. Whether it’s installing a new app or starting up a game on a console like the The Sims, we expect visible progress. A clear percentage. A predictable finish line.
But life doesn’t work that way.
There’s no visible bar. No countdown. No “Almost There” notification.
And maybe that’s the point.
The Illusion of Arrival
We grow up believing that life unlocks in levels:
- Graduate.
- Get the job.
- Find love.
- Build success.
- Retire happy.
It feels linear — like advancing through stages in a story-driven game such as The Legend of Zelda. Complete the quest. Defeat the boss. Move forward.
But real life is less predictable. It loops. It resets. It surprises.
You might think you’re at 80%, only to realize you’ve just discovered a brand-new path.
Growth Happens in the Background
Sometimes it feels like nothing is happening.
You’re working quietly. Healing slowly. Learning privately. Waiting patiently.
But just because you can’t see progress doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.
Think of innovators like Steve Jobs. Before the global success of Apple Inc., there were failures, experiments, and long stretches of uncertainty. What looked like setbacks were actually hidden updates running in the background.
Life loads the same way.
The Buffering Seasons
There are seasons where life feels stuck — like a spinning wheel that refuses to move.
You question your direction. Your pace. Your purpose.
But buffering isn’t brokenness.
It’s preparation.
Just as an operating system updates quietly before revealing new features, life often reshapes you internally before anything changes externally. Patience during these seasons builds resilience, clarity, and strength.
Stop Watching the Percentage
The danger of “Life Loading” is obsessing over how far you think you’ve come — or how far you believe you still have to go.
Comparison makes it worse. Social media can feel like scrolling through everyone else’s highlight reel while your own screen still says “Loading…”
But growth isn’t a race. It’s a process.
You are not behind.
You are not late.
You are not unfinished in a negative way.
You are becoming.