Trust the Process

I've always felt like such a late bloomer. Ever since I was a kid, I would observe my peers and my friends. I would see them excel at certain things I felt I was not able to easily get. I would see them getting those math problems, earning those awards, and nailing those grades. I would even see girls blooming into maturity, dating the cool guy, or just enjoying popularity. I realized I was definitely different and I learned at an early age to appreciate my individuality. Since "comparison is the thief of joy." I allowed myself to observe without envy. Also, my mother always made it clear that God gave me my own gifts and I would learn to appreciate them and utilize them as I got older and I believed her. This truth allowed me to start looking for my strengths early on so I could cultivate them.

I realized I wasn't so much a late bloomer. I was learning to appreciate the journey. I was learning to stay in my own lane and experience life as it came to me. I was a student of life. I learned that many lessons would keep presenting themselves until I was able to overcome them. I considered myself a humble student, but I also realized I had apply myself. I had to be assertive about taking on my challenges and convincing myself I could actually succeed.

There has to be a belief and willingness to achieve the things we want. We can't just desire them from the sidelines without taking any action. Also, we have to believe in the right timing for things to manifest. We can work towards something our entire lives and suddenly it can happen for you overnight. We could be looking for our ideal mate for many years and suddenly meet someone that we finally feel we connect with. We could be applying and searching for the perfect job for a long time when we finally find a position that's suitable for us or even better we create the opportunity we've been searching for. Sometimes we have to let go of the obsession and allow things to happen while still staying focused on what we want.

The point is to never lose hope. You'll see your peers moving through life, getting their breaks and you'll think, "it's so easy for them" but you never know what their struggle was. You never know how difficult their journey was or what their challenges were. Those same people could be looking at your breaks wondering how you were able to achieve it. The grass is not greener on the other side. We just need to learn to water our own grass. We could have our own beautiful garden with our own unique landscape and it could feel so rewarding.

Growth is a funny thing and it's inevitable. You could find yourself achieving more than most while you could find yourself revisiting some things you've seen your peers excel with. Keep learning, keep pushing, keep trying, keep doing, and keep growing. Change the inner dialogue to "I will get it" and you will whether it's on your time or not. Our best accomplishments require patience.

Everything is by design. You have your own journey while others have theirs. No one is superior. We are all students and we can all take the time to learn from each other. Strategy is important. Develop a plan of action towards your goals but in the meantime enjoy the journey. Trust the process.