02/06/2026
‘You have to understand that you have value as the person you are’ Hearing these words today in one of our groups really stopped me in my tracks. It was so powerful that I interrupted the conversation and thanked the speaker. Recently, I said the phrase ‘I am (insert age 😉), I should have my life together. I have also heard some lovely individuals much younger than me discuss how they too felt like they were falling behind. But falling behind on whose timeline? We live in a world where we are told that we go to school for 16 years, college for two years, then you get a degree before going out into the world and get a well paid job, get married, have children and settle down. Usually all before you hit 30. But, what does falling behind actually mean? What about those of us that do not thrive within a school environment? What about those of us who go to work straight out of school and then decide to pursue further education in their 30s/40s/50s and older? Or those who do not feel the need to reenter education. What about those who choose not to have children or get married? And what about those that do not chase the financially abundant career, choosing work in the third sector or just dancing to the beat of their own drum? Who decides that these lives have less value than what society tells us has value. So, today whether you fit into the society norm or you live life to your own set of rules remember: ‘you have value as the person you are’
