On Becoming.
A gentle reflection on growth, doubt, and beginning anyway
Hi, friends.
This space is where I share insights about mental health, and where I linger in the questions of womanhood, meaning, and the in-between seasons of life, both personal and professional.
I’m really glad you’re here. xoxo
There is a quiet magic in the word becoming.
It is softer than words like “changing” or “improving.” Less urgent than “transforming.”
Becoming does not rush. It does not demand clarity or certainty. It simply suggests movement from you. Movement that is slow, steady and unfolding.
So often, we tell ourselves that we must know who we are before we can take a step forward. That we must have our identity neatly defined, our path clearly mapped and our confidence fully formed. But what if becoming works in the opposite way? What if you are not meant to arrive at yourself before you begin? Instead, what if you are meant to discover yourself through beginning?
You do not have to know who you are today in order to start moving toward who you are becoming. You do not have to see the end of the journey to take the first step. You only need enough curiosity, or courage, or even quiet hope to say, “I am willing to try.”
For many of us, this is where fear creeps in.
What if I don’t know enough?
What if it doesn’t work out?
What if I make the wrong choice?
What if I am not ready?
What if I am not who I think I am?
These questions are familiar to anyone who is growing. They often show up wearing the name imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome whispers that you are not qualified, prepared or worthy of the space you are stepping into. But those doubts are not signs that you should stop. They are simply evidence that you are in the middle of becoming.
Becoming is rarely neat. It does not happen in a straight line. It can feel awkward, uncertain, even a little messy. You might try something and realize it does not fit. You might take a step forward and then pause. You might feel confident one day and uncertain the next. All of this is part of the process.
There is no “perfect” version of yourself waiting at the end of this process. There is only the version of you that continues to show up. Each time you don’t give up on yourself you learn to soften, stretch and to begin again when needed. Becoming is not about reaching a destination. It is about allowing yourself to wonder, experiment, and grow.
If you are feeling scared, you are not behind. Fear does not mean you are unprepared. It often means you care deeply about what you are stepping toward. And if you are wrestling with imposter syndrome, remember this: many of the people who are most capable are also the ones who question themselves the most.
You are allowed to become without having everything figured out.
You are allowed to begin before you feel ready.
You are allowed to begin when you feel scared.
You are allowed to take small, imperfect, uncertain steps — and still be moving in the direction of something meaningful.
Becoming is not something you achieve. It is something you gently usher into your life.
And perhaps, in that allowing, you will discover that you have been becoming all along.