It’s hard not to feel cynical in 2024, as digital alerts about climate change and wars and migrants and mental illness all pump into our brains like water against an unstable dam. Amid this doom and gloom, we ought to acknowledge we do not live in the “the Darkest Timeline,” as joked about by the cult classic NBC sitcom Community.

Your timeline is a work in progress, not a pre-ordained narrative. And you are so much more than a pawn moving between tasks. Appreciate the journey to reaching success, acknowledge the wisdom gained from each of your achievements, and do not be afraid to stray from the path.