There are many different roads to the same destination.

Each of us has certain goals and achievements. Many of those goals and achievements are very similar. For example, there is more than one person in the world aspiring to be a doctor, a teacher or a news reporter. It is human nature to compete in order to measure ourselves against other people. And how could we not? We are constantly reminded of the importance of being at the top of the class or social spectrum. While it is healthy to be competitive, it is dangerous to be overzealous. When this happens, we lose sight of our goals because we are too fixated on being one-up on our competition.

It is important to remember that we are all different. We come from different experiences and lifestyles. While we are often criticized for looking the same, each of us is unique. So if we are all so different, why are we constantly comparing ourselves to others? It just doesn’t make sense. That is why I am certain that there are many different roads to the same destination. Each and every one of us will create our own path, our own road map to success and happiness. And maybe, just maybe, some of us will meet at the same rest stop. So are you ready? Pack up, we’re on our way!

Our life is a journey. I know it’s a cliché, but it’s true. Let’s just say for argument’s sake that our journey starts out at Villanova in a beautiful cherry red Mustang convertible. (That’s what most of us drive, isn’t it?) We are cruising along just fine as we exit the highway and pay the toll. We get the green light. Now it’s time to decide which way to go. We can go to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Nursing or Commerce and Finance. Once we’ve picked our college we set the car on cruise control. For now, we will travel amongst thousands of others. Traffic may be heavy, so please be patient.

As we continue, slowly but surely in our traffic jam of red convertibles, we see different exit signs and route changes. One exit may advise to participate in sports, while the other persuades us to take the more political route. Another may be for a job that gives us some extra cash. So we choose something or nothing at all, and either is just fine. While one friend enjoys the competition of playing football every weekend and meeting lots of people, you like debating politics and creating social changes. Both are great and give us different ties and connections to various people and opportunities.

As we exit the highway, we find that we move at a different pace and encounter different speed bumps and detours. The speed bumps help us to slow down and see things more clearly while the detours may take on wild adventures we never expected.

Eventually, in about four years, (the car may be cool looking, but I never said it was fast) we meet up again. It’s time to exit the highway; it’s graduation. Where do you turn? Left, right, straight? You’ve reached your destination. And there you sit, all these people around you. All of you were involved in different activities, studied different fields and pursued different goals. Yet there you sit, a unified class. Successfully, but differently, you have all reached the graduation rest stop, taking different roads to the same destination. What’s next? A lot of people are going to graduate school, some will start their first jobs and others will get married and start a family. In any case, we know that whatever we do, whatever car we drive or which ever exit we take, we can reach the same destination of success and happiness. Just remember to drive a really cool car.