Just the other day, I had a discussion with my parents about what event it is in a person’s life that takes them from young adulthood and catapults them into all out Adulthood (with a capital A).

There were many ideas thrown out there: marriage, graduation from college, moving away from home for the first time, financial independence from your childhood caregivers, first child, etc.

We had quite the intriguing conversation where each person in the room told about when it was in their lives that they felt they deserved the term ‘Adult.’ The most fascinating part was that everyone’s adult-event occured at very different ages.

The fact is that people progresses through certain stages of life at such incredibly different paces. I remember when I graduated from college, I felt slightly ashamed because many of my high school peers had already graduated almost two years prior and a lot of them were already either in the work force or at prestigious schools getting an even higher degree. In my mind it was okay becasue it wasn’t like I lolly-gagged through college or anything  – I just chose to take a break for a couple years and live in Europe for awhile. But the point is that I felt behind.

But what about all those kids in grade school that were there for eighth grade graduation but then it was like they just disappeared since I don’t ever remember seeing them again in high school. It’s fair to say that I felt ahead in that instance.

Why is it then that we tend to compare? Why do we coin terms like over-achievers and slackers? Is there even such a thing???

I say – whenever you start to feel ‘behind’ just remember that there is no such thing as ‘ahead.’ Just live everyday to its fullest in whatever position you are in!!

Besides just think how much richness and diversity can come when we don’t all ‘get there’ at the same time!