Sometimes, the only way to realize how far you have come, is to look back into the past. 

It often reminds you of the fact that while the days felt long, the years that followed were short.
The past, no matter how confusing, didn’t mean the future couldn’t be clearer. 

These were the exact emotions I went through, when I went back to Michigan State University in 2015, after dropping out of my PhD program in 2004. 

There was so much that had changed in those 11 years.
I went from being confused about my career to graduating from ISB, to working as a consultant to starting up.
Went from disappointing my parents to hopefully making them feel proud.
Went from being a kid, to being a parent to a kid. 

In 2004, life felt like a huge mountain to scale.
In 2015, it felt like a wonderfully long journey to travel. 

It is not about the year already gone by.
It is about the years still left.
You still have time.