Who Decided We Were Running Late?

 "How can anyone be behind in life when it's their own life?"

I came across this thought recently, and it stayed with me.

For so long, life has been treated like a race with invisible checkpoints. By a certain age, there should be certainty. A dream. A career. A purpose. A plan that sounds convincing every time someone asks, "So, what's next?"

No one really speaks about the chapters filled with confusion. The ones where every answer feels out of reach. The days spent questioning the future, comparing timelines, and wondering if everyone else has figured something out that hasn't arrived yet.

Then life does what it has always done.

It introduces a new chapter.

A different city. Unexpected people. Friendships that change everything. Hearts that break. Doors that close. Others that appear without warning. A version of yourself that never existed before.

Looking back, almost nothing happened the way it was imagined. Yet every chapter added something. Strength. Perspective. Faith. Gratitude. A different way of looking at the world.

For those who believe in God, there is peace in knowing that every page already has a place in the story. Not every chapter makes sense while living through it, but every chapter still belongs.

Looking back is enough to realise that life has never stood still.

The things that once felt impossible become ordinary.

The places that felt unfamiliar begin to feel like home.

The fears that once felt enormous lose their grip.

The person reading this keeps becoming someone new.

Life has never been about reaching a finish line before everyone else.

It has always been about living the story that was written for you.

So how can anyone ever be behind in a life that has always been their own?