The Process of Becoming

It took me a long time to understand that writing is not about publishing a book (as much as I look forward to that day). It is not a finished product. Writing, instead, is a process. It is the work in front of me, right now, and the shape that it takes as I continue to show up to the page. I am quick to notice these days how fast self doubt shows up when I start thinking about the end result. Rather, when I immerse myself in the joys and struggles of the work itself, I allow myself to stay open to new avenues and directions. Perhaps even better outcomes than I first imagined.

The same can be true of this journey we call healing. Healing is, at its core, a desire to become whole, to become ourselves again, before life and ancestry added its patina. It is common to think that we are headed straight towards a finish line and the path is linear. That once we reach this desired place, we will feel happy, content and complete. I like to use the image of the upward spiral as a reminder of the true path — sometimes we spiral up, sometimes back down, but never to the exact same spot. What is most profound is that the spiral never ends. Instead it loops over and over again, into higher vibrations of self awareness, new lessons, and better and more adept ways of navigating, course correcting, and experiencing love. Yet, all the while, never to “arrive”. I don’t know about you, but I find some sweet relief in that thought.

I think a lot about the tools and techniques for manifesting a good life and have discovered a few patterns as I take another turn around the spiral. As I “arrive” at each new level, the process begins again. I once again edit and arrange my home in a way that reflects where I am now; I ask new, potent questions that unlock new horizons of possibilities; I re-craft affirmations that resonate more with where I am today and where I’d like to go next. Each turn yields a new set of questions, new insights, new strategies to deepen my nourishing practices. To me, this is the essence of renewal.

We can’t know, in this precise moment, exactly where our path will wind, or how long or in what order. We just focus on the unfolding at our feet, deliciously refining and revealer truer versions of our self over time.