"Becoming who you are meant to be often requires slowing down long enough to face yourself honestly."
Growth rarely happens in dramatic moments. More often, it arrives quietly through reflection, patience, and the decision to move differently than before. Sometimes that growth is uncomfortable and arrives unannounced and unexpected. Those moments are when you choose to approach it with bravery, fear, faith, or just a bit of everything.
The Poise Principle: Trusting Pace of Growth
A major goal in life can be fairly simple: to become successful. Factors such as timing, how it will happen, or what the outcome of it is are the key attractions to keep the drive and momentum going. They can also be just as much of a distraction of your purpose and cause side effects such as desperation, confusion, or blurry vision to what once seemed so clear that it was right in front of you. Within that same thought, success can seem like an illness or addiction - if not properly managed.
At one point I had believed that progress meant moving as quickly as possible. "By any means necessary" had become the fuel in my tank to push on at full speed. Long story short, the shortcuts led to the destination becoming further and further. It was as if the navigation had gotten lost and it was unnoticed. Within time and many mistakes later, it became more grounding to slow down and trust timing. This lesson served to produce more aligned results than forcing the outcomes. I am now learning that real progress often requires patience and clarity with that same vision.
Living With Greater Intention
The topic becomes touchy because of the multiple pathways that are produced when it seemed as if you had made just enough satisfactory progress. The internal standards are a piece of the puzzle that cannot be skipped over or rushed through just as much as the physical work. Integrity comes into play when you see the accolades or outcomes on the hill of the mountain that isn't too far ahead. That view of the distance can become distorted as well. In my personal experience, I have not always passed that test. I've gotten a failing grade more times than a pass. In that same notion, I do not regret failing as it can take a few times to get things right. The beauty is in having to go and study to retake the quiz.
When approaching this difficult phase, a few questions can populate at the surface.
- Does this decision align with who I become?
- Am I rushing something that requires patience?
- Would I respect or regret this choice a year from now?
- Does this make me a bad person?
The thoughts can swarm in your mind and ultimately change or affect how you view yourself and others. From my understanding, success is a beautiful thing to everyone. It comes with those things and right or wrong choices. Making a wrong choice doesn't make you a bad person, it just shows you that there's more work to do. The study of it is different for everyone so it helps to have grace for yourself through everything.
A Step of Faith & Authenticity
One practice that helped me slow down was returning to the church. Not as a dramatic transformation, but as a quiet space for reflection. I was able to sit with my thoughts and become more comfortable with who I am. When it comes to your faith or personal journey, a helpful thing to remember is you have the power to navigate how much you would like to take from it. The process of applying it can be a new experience in itself.
Authenticity isn't about announcing who you are to the world. It's about becoming comfortable enough with yourself that you no longer feel a need to perform. This can be a challenge when finding a role for yourself in your career or life in general. If you're building something for yourself, it can be a nagging thought to stay true to who you are and not let that get misconstrued. A great way to release some of that stress is remembering to know who you are and why you decided to choose that role for yourself. The hardest part can be finding it, the next hurdle is navigating it. With consistency, your inner light will shine just as much as your outer light without worry or hesitation.
A Takeaway
The process of becoming who you are meant to be cannot be rushed. It asks for patience, honesty, and commitment to quiet growth.