What if success in your life were guaranteed? What if all the dreams you have for your life were guaranteed? Would you rush towards the finish line or would you take your time and savour the journey?
These are the questions we will be discussing today.
The Realization
Imagine this, the universe already has a plan in motion for your life. You were born and the universe was like “Dean will become a great person, I have destined it”. What if one day you stumbled upon this realization. Be it through astrology, tarot, or whatever magic 8 ball people believe in these days.
How would you handle that realization?
Let’s make it even more generic. What if you believed in your abilities but the tangible manifestation of your abilities hadn’t arrived yet? Here you stand, you know what you’re worth, but people around you are doubting you. You know what you can do, you know what you wanna do, but now you’re stuck in the process of doing/becoming that idealized self.
This is the crux of the problem: trust in the process.
Hustle Culture
In the hustle culture of today we often see these glamourized versions of what successful people do. we’ve all seen those videos where its like: “wakeup 4am, three mile jog 5am, shower 6am, work for 3 hours 7am to 10am” etc etc. But how many show the realistic version of what success looks like? Success isn’t linear, it’s nonlinear. Where is the video of those people one day waking up with a cold, or a headache, or just flat out not feeling like going for that run at 5am in pitch black winter time?
And don’t worry, I’m one of you too. I also struggle with trusting the process. Some day I’m up and going and I feel invincible. Other days I run into roadblock after roadblock and I’m like bruhhh. I have summed this behaviour up into two quotes.
When you’re up, you never think you’re coming down. When you’re down, you never think you’re gonna be up again.
The humblest thing one can do is accept their humanity.
Because I don’t know about you, but not everyday is a banger you know? I just chased Amazon for two weeks trying to get a refund then last night I found out I’m not even eligible for a refund anymore because I’m past the 14 day window to return my product. So kinda throwing a little pity party for myself right now. Just grabbed a tea, sitting outside a park in my car, just sipping tea and writing this article.
The Real Victory
But what if I told you, just as important as success is the process of becoming successful. The trials, the tribulations, the small victories – a good breakfast, like these are the substance that make that final victory really worth it. I’ve tasted victory before, and let me tell you, it’s fleeting as hell. Ya sure you feel an emotional high for like 15mins, but that’s it you know?
You know where the real victory is? It’s those nights that you stayed up doubting yourself, but still moved forward the next day. It’s in those moments where everyone doubted you but you stuck to your resolve. It’s in those days where you just grab a tea and sit on a park bench just looking into a lake ‘cuz that’s all you can manage in the moment (like I’m about to).
So this article is for you as much as it is for me. We all gotta learn to trust the process man. Cuz somethings keeping this world ticking, and it ain’t me or you that’s forsure. Theres a greater intelligence at work, a Grand Architect, if you will. And I may be foolish, but I believe it’s all gonna work out man.
Peace ✌️