May 2017.

My projected college graduation date. The date that I will not be walking across that iridescently lighted stage.

This time of the year is bitter sweet for a lot of reasons but for me it stings that I am not starting my senior year of college this month like I should be. Sometimes life takes you on a different path than you planned to embark on. At the end of the day I will be a super-duper senior and graduate (hopefully, maybe) in December 2018.

I am here to tell you that because your success has been delayed you have not failed. You will get through it if that is what you so choose to do. Most of us set out at the ripe old age of 18 to make decisions that will permanently alter our lives. If you are one of the students that knew exactly what they wanted to do when they stepped foot onto their first college campus, I applaud you hard enough to break every carpal bone I have. Sadly, that isn't the case with most college freshmen.

To those that strayed from the beaten path, those that took the time to determine what they wanted out of life, those that found themselves although they couldn't find a major to stick to, those that feel their will power deteriorate through the passing days: it's okay.

It is okay that you wandered off the path everyone expected you to march down. It's okay that you took the first year of your college experience to find yourself. It's even okay if you took the first year and partied it away. It is all okay. At the end of the day you are taking steps to better your future, enhance your character, and be better than you were the day before.

If you changed your major after the first year of classes, that's okay. I changed my major 11 times. yep, you read that correctly. 11, in all if it's shinning glory. I was changing my majors faster than I could change my classes. After my second year at a university I decided it was best that I give in and major in the one thing I refused to major in. Nursing. Now, it is my passion and every passing day I am more excited than the last that I will spend my career helping people.

The road to success and completion is not a straight path, and if your path is appearing to straighten up, throw some curves in there to challenge yourself. If you will graduate at 22, 23, 24, or even 65, you are succeeding. Don't hang your head in disappointment that you are on a different time frame than the people you entered school with. It's time that the stigma around graduating later than planned be removed. It is time that we are proud of ourselves because even when it feels as if we are in a constant limbo, we are making progress. You cannot measure success on a time interval scale.

At the end of the day the people that matter will not care if you are a few semesters behind or if you took time off. Every disruption to your projected plan may be the disruption that leads to the most thrilling adventure of your life.

So many more things in your life are coming that are so much more meaningful than your graduation date.

Your time is coming. Don't be ashamed that you strayed from your original plan. Don't bow your head in agony as you sign up for classes that you were supposed to take two years ago. Don't stare at a calendar for infinite amounts of time as you belittle yourself in the quiet of your room. Plans are like rules, meant to be broken.

I also want to applaud those that didn't take the suggested path but have met their success. The people who didn't choose to enter college, but chose to take their skill and obtain a job, you are successful as well. Don't let someone tell you that a degree is the needed title to become successful. If we are being honest, I know loggers, welders, and entrepreneurs that have bank accounts that will forever shame all of ours. I know men who can't read and write yet they clear well into the millions each year. Don't let that country accent fool you. College is a great opportunity but don't think you cannot reach success without a expensive piece of paper that we so elloquently call a degree.