Playlist: Coming of Age Running

Use these songs to release whatever is holding you back from becoming the person you are meant to be.

Written by Valeria Mota

Illustrated by Molly White

Brazilian novelist Paolo Coelho described the journey of life as not so much about “becoming anything” but “un-becoming everything that isn’t really you, so you can be who you were meant to be in the first place.” This process of “un-becoming,” shedding old beliefs and accepting new realities, is what defines the process known as “coming of age.” The transition from childhood to adulthood can be awkward, gut-wrenching, and overall emotionally overwhelming for many, but it is ultimately characterized by a sense of release, of learning lessons and letting go, despite the claw marks that may be left behind. While sometimes rigorous, the slow diffusion of the person you are into the person you want to be is ultimately cathartic, like letting out a much-needed scream in your car or breaking out into a run in a random burst of energy. Because really, growing up can feel like that sometimes — a slow trudge through newfound emotions before the eventual run-inducing explosion of realization and acceptance. 

From heartbreaking lessons in love to existential questions of purpose and triumphant resolutions in the midst of the unknown, the songs below culminate into cathartic releases made to accompany you in your process of “un-becoming.” In the process of becoming who you are, you might not know where your final destination is. Yet it is important that you keep running, and these songs are sure to motivate you to keep sprinting towards the most “un-becoming” direction you are meant to take.