The Process of Becoming
Today marks the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. Spring symbolizes growth and renewal. The days are getting longer, and nature begins to wake up again.
This is a perfect time to harness the healing power of spending time outdoors. As highlighted in the article from The Art of Living Retreat Center website about Ayurvedic rituals for seasonal cleansing, “Spending time outdoors helps align our internal rhythms with the natural world. Walking among trees, breathing fresh air, and soaking in sunlight all support physical and mental renewal.”
Witnessing the unfolding of the natural world in the spring is also a great reminder that the process of becoming is slow and steady; it is not a race.
The anticipation of flowers and trees beginning to blossom brings to mind a passage from Mark Nepo’s The Book of Awakening regarding the pain of becoming. In this passage, Nepo shares his thoughts regarding how, as humans, we can be impatient with change and push ourselves to “unfold faster or more deeply than is natural.” He explains that “The simple rose, at each moment of its slow blossoming, is as open as it can be…if a flower were to push itself to open faster, which it can’t, it would tear.”
Transformation takes time. Instead of comparing our current position with the final goal we’re aiming for, which can cause feelings of inadequacy, we should acknowledge that wherever we are on our journey is sufficient. At every stage of growth, we are exactly where we need to be. Like the rose, with each step in the journey of blooming, we are stretched to our limits.
I sometimes get impatient with how long the process of writing my second book has been; however, each step along the way is a milestone. Every time I write a chapter or research a potential agent or publisher, I learn something new that helps in the next stage of development.
If we constantly push ourselves to go faster and beyond our current limits, we do ourselves a significant disservice – it could result in injury, illness, or worse.
When you catch yourself judging your current state against the imagined ideal of what you'd like to become, pause and focus on the image of a flower in bloom. See the beauty in the early stages of growth. Then, as Nepo suggests, “inhale and appreciate the beauty of yourself about to open.”
As you work toward becoming who you want to be, it can be hard to see that each step you take shows progress. The process of “becoming” can be long and painful, but it’s a vital part of growth. Enjoy the journey.