I’m always late to things.
I was late to my birth (1 week).
I was late to college (21 years old).
I was late to getting my first job (24 years old).
I was late to getting my driver’s license (26 years old) …and having my own car (28 years old).
I was late to moving out (28 years old).
You get the idea…
Somehow, I always had this feeling that I’m falling behind everyone else.
But no matter how late I am to hitting milestones that others reach before me, I realized it somehow always works out in the end.
For example, being ‘late’ to college gave me the time to get used to living in a new country. I was supposed to go to college when my family and I first landed in Canada.
But I ended up doing two years of high school in Toronto first. It was a completely different environment from what I was used to.
And I quickly realized there was no way I would’ve survived college here if I’d gone straight there from the airport!
The 2 years I ‘stayed behind’ ended up helping prepare me mentally and emotionally for such a big transition.
Now, being 'late' doesn’t bother me. I know it’s going to work out.
I seem to come across certain things in life when I’m ready for them, and not before.
So, if you’re beating yourself up right now about something…
A missed opportunity…
A lost connection…
An unrealized dream…
Or you feel like you’re not achieving everything you want or thought you’d be by now.
Or you’re comparing yourself to those around you and feeling like you’re three steps behind,
Or maybe you think it’s too late for you to take on a new challenge.
Think about it differently: maybe the wait is preparing you to handle whatever is coming next.
Waiting sucks, don’t get me wrong.
But life doesn’t stop while you wait.
You’re still growing…and learning…and evolving during that time.
And all these lessons will prepare you for the next milestone.
Whenever I notice I’m comparing myself to others and beating myself up for ‘not being like them’, I stop and ask myself: “would I have benefited from reaching a goal or milestone at the same time they did? Or would I have fumbled it and ruined my chances?”
It helps bring me back to myself because then I don’t have to wonder why everyone else is ‘ahead’.
I realize I’m on my own path, walking at my own pace, and that eventually I’ll come across the same things.
And when I do, I’ll be ready for them.
Anyway, those were just my two cents for this week. I hope you find them helpful.
Noha 🙂
p.s. I’m not saying you should let opportunities pass you by. Of course not. Only that you shouldn’t beat yourself up if something you really wanted didn’t happen when you wanted it to. We all take different paths, and it doesn’t make you less or better than anyone else. Be confident in your own journey, and you’ll feel a lot better about your life.
