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When I was much younger, I used to think that becoming someone great is all about being educated and getting your dream job, then every other thing will move smoothly. So I just couldn't wait to finish up my primary and secondary education so I can get into the university.
The misconceptions I had about self-actualization was just so huge. I never thought that the journey wasn't going to be so smooth. I remember I've heard some motivational speakers say some things I didn't really understand and I was always trying to understand what they meant.
Life started hitting really hard when I got into the University. At that time, everything became challenging, everything! But the funny thing is that I didn't know that life outside school was the real deal. It never occurred to me that once I drop my pen, I will no longer get my monthly stipends, not because the people around me wanted me to suffer, but they wanted me to face life and then start working towards *self-actualization.
Let me tell you my experience on this journey. I have been tempted to give up, quit, settle for less, or just relax my bones. I've also lost so much. My temper had rose higher that I felt like blacklisting everyone around me and just be on my own. But it didn't still occur to me that I was passing through the normal stages of life, and that I was in a phase that would soon pass. I have learned both the hard way and the easy way.
One day my aunt observed me and then invited me to her house. I thought she was going to either offer me money or give me some connections. But that wasn't the case. A question she asked me when I got there has always been a motivation for me... She asked if I've ever seen a Goldsmith working before.. I said I haven't. So I was given an assignment to go watch the whole process of burning gold. And also look out for the best gold and compare if the burning process was the same as others.
At first it sounded stupid to me but trust me, what I saw after watching got me tensed and speechless for days. I started seeing myself as a work in progress. I also started reorganizing my mind such that I no longer reason the way I used to. I knew I was out for the best, and the journey would not be straight. I loved and cherished every little effort I made, knowing that it was going to come out great. I started trusting the process.
So every time I listened to motivations anywhere, through any channel, I'd look at myself and smile, because I know that I'm on the right track. I drafted out where I want to be at a point in time, and tried as much not to be hasty. So all I had ever wanted was to trust the process, but I just didn't know it. I know many people are also in my shoe or in a similar shoe. But the message is the same, *"Trust the Process".
If you see yourself as a failure, you're gonna fail, Because everything you've ever been started from the mind. So just believe in yourself. No matter the situation, trust the process. Greatness is not a one day thing.
The road to self-actualization is long, very long. But just trust the process and you're gonna love it.