Dear Yvonne: it's okay to be a work in progress

 Dear Yvonne, 

You keep feeling like you should be further along now than you are. Like at your age you're supposed to have it all figured out and know where you're heading to in life. But the truth is that it's not that easy, infact it's hard because life is hard.

Balancing Faith, school, feelings and even work is not something that's easy. Sometimes, you're going to compare yourself to people who you feel are better than you, sometimes, you're going to feel so depressed and anxious that it's going to feel like there's a noose on your neck that's tightening by the second, and sometimes you have these thoughts so dark that it scares you. You're wondering when you skittered so much out of control. 

The truth is life is fickle and our teenage years even more so. These no handbook on how you're supposed to feel or how far ahead you're supposed to be. Comparison is dangerous especially nowadays where a lot of smiles and achievements on the Internet are illusions and exaggerations. 

So, just be yourself. It sounds so anticlimactic given the progression of everything you've been feeling but it's the truth. Take your time. Let yourself grow slowly and honestly. You don’t need to rush becoming someone you’re still discovering. Faith isn’t about having everything figured out; it’s about showing up even when you don’t. Be patient with yourself. You are allowed to learn, to stumble, and to begin again.

You are not behind. You are becoming — and that is enough.

— Yvonne