It's a process

Have you ever heard that saying, "[it] is a journey, not a destination," or something along those lines. And replace "it" with whatever you prefer.

Well, I had to remind myself today that "life" and such is a journey or a process.

I have been searching for myself for a while now, and I had finally gotten to the point where I thought I had myself all figured out.

Which, I suppose in some sense I do have myself pretty well figured out, for the most part. But like everyone, I'm constantly changing (yes, most of the time those changes are small), but they are changes. And I need to constantly get to know myself again and again, that's where the process comes in.

When I remember this, it helps me not be so hard on myself. It helps me be more patient with myself.

It also helps me be more patient with those around me.

We are all in this journey, finding ourselves, finding each other, rediscovering ourselves and rediscovering those around us. One continual circle, one long process.

And if we can always remember that this is a process, a journey, not a destination then we can help each other along the way. Or at the very least, give each other the benefit of the doubt. Because this process, though it frequently yields great joy, can be quite painful at times.

You never know what part of the process someone may be in. So offer them a hand. If you can't do that, at least extend a kind word with whomever you meet. It could be the thing that pulls them through a rough patch.