The Magic Is In The Process, Not The Results


Pearl Mathias is an early childhood educator with a love…
Often in life we’re so fixated on the end result that we rush through the process that gets us there.
And that’s because the process isn’t always pleasant. The process involves work. It requires us to be patient. And it causes us to face things about ourselves and others that may make us uncomfortable.
However, there’s no escaping this process.
Whether we’re navigating a relationship, a break up, a job that’s tough on us, or we’re waiting on something to happen; we will always find ourselves on this path. And sure, we could trick our minds into distractions or even try to speed up the process with all the tricks we have up our sleeves, but this need we have to fight the process instead of flow with it will only lead to more disappointment.
So, the next time you find yourself on the way to where you want to be, I hope you decide to hit pause and not fast forward through the process.
I hope you open yourself up to learn every little thing that this in-between time is teaching you. And I hope you see the beauty in the waiting. I hope you find a way to be at peace, even when absolutely nothing is happening for you. And I hope you learn how not to take the process and yourself so seriously all the time. That you learn to let loose and enjoy all that’s happening for you; even before you arrive at where you want to be.
Don’t be sucked into the need for instant gratification, constant validation and quick results. Understand that there are times when everything could be going well for you, and there are times when nothing seems to be working out at all. Believe that you have what it takes to make it through both these kinds of situations.
When we’re so focused on where we want to be tomorrow, we lose sight of what today has to offer.
We lose sight of the people right in front of us. All the conversations that could have been had, all the connections that could have been made, all the skills that could have been acquired, and all the rest that could have been enjoyed instead of the rushing.
We lose sight of all the goodness that each part of the process brings along with its struggles. We lose sight of all the different versions of ourselves that we become and un-become along the way; until the pieces finally start to fit together.
The process isn’t pretty. It’s not always worth documenting, it’s not always worth talking about or posting about. But the process is personal. It is made for you to learn certain things at this point in your life and when you’ve understood all that it had to teach you, you move onto the next phase and you keep moving ahead as you keep accumulating all this quiet wisdom that the journey brings.
If you fight against this flow, if you refuse to learn what it’s trying to teach you, the lessons will find a way back to you. In a different form at a different time. All it really asks is for you to learn what you need to at this point in time.
The process is a big part of your life. Even bigger than the part where you finally arrive at where you want to be. The arrivals are short-lived. And you’ll soon realise that once you’re here, you’ll be required to set out on a different journey again.
So buckle up and enjoy the ride.