We've all been there, right? You're at the rodeo of life, and it seems like everyone else is getting branded with success, one shiny achievement at a time. They've got the fancy tags – the corner office, the perfect family, the "30 Under 30" award – while you're still... well, you're still figuring out which end of the cow is up.


It's like that spring branding scene. The ranch hands are wrangling calves, giving them their mark, showing they belong to the herd, they're on the right track. But some don’t get tagged right away.


That's the late bloomer. That's you. That's me.


We're the ones who didn't quite fit into the mold, didn't hit all the milestones at the expected mile markers. Maybe we were too busy chasing butterflies, or perhaps we were just taking the scenic route. Whatever the reason, we've often felt like we're still hitching up the wagon while everyone else is riding into the horizon.


The Myth of the "Right Time"

See, we've been sold this bill of goods that there's a "right time" for everything. Graduate college by 22, snag that dream job by 25, settle down by 30, become a millionaire by... well, whenever society deems appropriate. And if you don't follow this perfectly curated timeline? You're labeled a "late bloomer."

But here's the thing: Life isn't a horse race. It's more like a cattle drive. There's a general direction, sure, but everyone's gonna wander a bit, take a detour, maybe even get lost in the brambles for a while.


And you know what? There's a certain beauty to being a late bloomer.

We develop grit: When you're not handed success on a silver platter, you learn to hustle. You learn to persevere. You develop the kind of grit that'll get you through any dust storm life blows your way.

We discover our own path: We're not afraid to stray from the beaten path because, let's face it, we were never really on it in the first place. This allows us to crash through the brush to one that's authentic to who we are.

We have a heck of a story to tell: When we finally do "bloom," we don't just have a success story; we have an epic odyssey. It's a tale of resilience, self-discovery, and maybe a few creek bottoms along the way.


So, to all my fellow late bloomers out there, I say this:

Embrace your "tagless" status.

Your time is coming.

Keep growing, keep learning, and keep moving forward at your own pace.

You'll get to where you're going. And when you finally do, you'll arrive with a wisdom and a strength that those early bloomers might just envy.