IF a raindrop were to fall into the ocean, would its existence continue to have any value? The ocean would not be affected in any significant way by the addition of the raindrop, and the raindrop itself would have lost the boundaries that define it as being separate. It would have become a part of a larger body where it would seemingly have no role, no identity, and no contribution to make. Within an instant, the raindrop would become insignificant and lose its value. It would never find its previous form again, nor would it be distinguishable from the billions of cubic kilometres of water that it had become a part of. In that instant, when the raindrop falls into the ocean, it reaches a state where it simply does not matter whether it continues to exist or not.
The difficulty of finding meaning in a saturated world is quite real. Oftentimes, it can feel as if everything we choose to do has already been done before, and the outcome has already been discovered. It can feel as if our thoughts lose their beauty when we realise that someone has likely had those same thoughts, analysed them, and recorded them already. The freshness that evokes curiosity seemingly disappears from the whole world, leaving us in a dull place where nothing is worth trying or exploring. This feeling can be suffocating, and it can drain away the joy that accompanies the process of growing up.

Each breath we take, each step we walk, and each beat of our heart often becomes indistinguishable from the millions or billions that we experience during a lifetime. Soon enough, we realise that, like a breath, step, or heartbeat, human life often becomes an indistinguishable part of the world. A new soul entering the world in the form of birth is not too different from the instant when a raindrop falls into the ocean. However, unlike the raindrop, which is lost forever, human beings have a chance to define themselves as individuals and contribute their own form of value to the world. We only need to find a way to pull ourselves up and out of the ocean that swallows and hides us.

When we do overcome the initial sense of hopelessness, we may realise that living is not truly about uncovering a mystery, proving a point for the first time, or even being different from others. It is about discovering an experience. It does not truly matter that there are others who may be thinking or doing the same things that you are. It does not even matter that someone has already found the answers to the questions that you have just thought of. Life is about the thrill of finding the answers for yourself in a journey that you choose to take in your own unique way.
Perhaps you may even eventually discover that the saturated nature of the world is an advantage to your growth. After all, if you do know what the outcome of every action is, then you will most certainly have a better understanding of how to approach your own life. If there are others who have the same thoughts as you do, then it simply means that you have a group of individuals with whom you can relate and share your life rather than having to live it alone.

It is natural to encounter a feeling of hopelessness or to feel as if life is not as meaningful as you initially believed. These feelings inevitably accompany those who seek to add something to the world and change it in some unique manner. However, the uniqueness does not lie in actions, appearance, or thoughts but rather in the quality of one’s character. Even though someone might have attempted to do something that you already have and failed, it does not mean that you will experience the same outcome.

Generation Z has been given the opportunity to connect and influence in a way that no other generation has been able to. We are indeed all still raindrops in the ocean, but we have a chance to find our way out—or better yet, work together to form a whirlpool of change.