I often question my progress in life. I’m sure you (especially if you’re in your late teens or early 20s) would have found yourself doing the same very recently too. We are at a stage where we don’t know how life’s gonna turn out for us. And it’s natural to be surrounded with questions regarding the same. “Will I be able to accomplish my goals?” “Will I be able to earn enough money?” “What does the future look like for me?” In an urgency to find answers to these questions, we often tend to do something harmful: question our progress and most importantly, compare it to that of others. It’s easy to convince our brains that we are not doing enough when in reality, we spend every second of our time doing the best of what we can do to excel in life. Sure, it’s disappointing when we do not see the results immediately. It’s hurtful when people ask us to put in more effort without knowing how much hard work we are putting in already. Think of it this way: A year ago today, were you uncertain as to where life would take you? Were you fearful of not being able to figure out the next step in life? I find myself experiencing the same emotions again and again. The only thing that changes is the situation. Sometimes, it’s the journey of finding an internship. Other times it’s the journey of landing a decent job. The list goes on. I don’t think I’d be the right person to offer a solution on how to fight this feeling because I still find myself stuck in the exact same loop sometimes, but I strongly believe that we are learning and growing each day. Even if our progress is slow, it’s still something. In the last couple of years, I have realised that everything falls into place when the time is right. And the ‘right time’ is different for every individual. And even if we believe that there are no results just yet, a year from today, it will all make sense as to why things happened the way they did and we’ll be left with nothing but gratitude for all the growth that this journey (despite it being slow) led us to experience. ------------------------- And on those days when your progress does not feel like very much, and you find yourself wondering if you will ever be enough, remember that a few hundred nights ago, you were not sure you’d make it here. But here you are, living and breathing on the other side of those fears. - Morghan Harper Nichols