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“You can’t go back and change the beginning but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ~ C.S. Lewis

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You’re resting peacefully, going about your day, when it shows up out of nowhere, to remind you that you actually need to buck up.

This thought that you’re left behind, while everyone is miles ahead of you, surfaces when you least expect it to and doesn’t leave no matter how hard you try.

It makes you question everything about yourself and your life so far.

And you wonder if you’re even on the right track.

In such moments, you suddenly feel like a bystander in your own life, just watching it go by, without any idea of where it’s going. You ponder over all those milestones that you should have achieved by now but couldn’t because something or the other got in the way.

You lament over the life that could’ve been yours but couldn’t be.

In such moments, you’re gripped by the feelings of insecurity and inadequacy and you simply surrender.

All you can see is everyone passing you by, at lightening speed, while you’re still here.

And all you do is wonder, where did your time go?

You see your hopes and dreams scattered on the floor because now they’re just the remains of what could have been but  isn’t. All you can do is look at them and think about how different your own life could have been only if.

And then you realise that the time to fill those gaps has gone.

As much as you want, you can’t turn back time. There is nothing to undo. Sometimes, there are no do-overs. So you just have to start from where you are and keep going.

Perhaps that’s why it’s important for us to understand that there are no timelines.

There is nothing such as being left behind because we’re all on our own schedule, which is nothing like that of another.

We often look at the road ahead of us, see everyone passing by, and think that we’re the ones who’re left behind.

“If you focus on what you left behind, you’ll never be able to see what lies ahead.” ~ Remi Gaillard

The truth is that we need to look back at how far we’ve come, the storms we’ve braved, and the fights we’ve won to be where we are today.

Our journey isn’t and will never be about following a pre-set timeline.

It will always be about just being on the journey, on our own timeline. It will be about picking up pace, slowing down. or pausing when we want or need to.

We just need to believe that everything is unfolding at the right time and pace.

We’re not left behind.

Rather, we’re exactly where we need to be in our own journey, which no one else will ever be able to fully grasp because they aren’t supposed to.

This is our journey.

Your journey.

And it’s only you who needs to be present to it.

Then, instead of chasing the idea of following a timeline or achieving milestones, we need to cultivate the idea of being present to our own self and in our own life in more meaningful ways so that we can make choices that fit best with us.

“You are awareness, disguised as a person.”~ Eckhart Tole

Rather than asking yourself, “What have I achieved so far?” (in comparison to others around you), you need to ask yourself:

>> How do I feel about my own life?

>> How fulfilled am I with what I have right now?

>> What do I need right now to feel content with myself?

>> Where do I want to go from here?

And then you also need to remind yourself that:

1. You were and will always be unique. No matter how cliché it sounds, it is the truth. We’re all different and our journey is about embracing this uniqueness rather than trying to fit into molds.

2. Your life situation and circumstances matter, and they do determine the pace of your life. You need to appreciate and recognize their contribution before jumping on the “I need to catch up” bandwagon.

3. You always have a choice. While you can’t turn back time, you can always move forward with intent and awareness.

4. Embrace this moment. Now is when you create.

5. Trust the timing of your life. Even if things aren’t working out at the moment, they will when the time is right and in the right way.

6. No matter what happens, keep showing up for yourself. Don’t run, don’t chase. Just be.

Life is not a race to the mountain top. There are no peaks to be conquered.

It’s just about living now and knowing that what you have right now is enough and can be more at your time and pace.

“Like the river keep on flowing.” ~ Avijeet Das

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