One of the hardest moments of your life will be the day you wake up and realize the person you are is no where near the person you want to be. Maybe you think this will never happen to you, but the harsh reality is that almost all of us will go through a phase like this at some point in our lives. This realization almost always comes as a total shock and is typically a result of something major in our life.

It's not a fun phase, and it won't be easy. I can pretty much guarantee that you'll never met anyone who enjoyed going through it. It's going to hurt, but it's supposed to. Probably the worst emotion you can feel is disappointment with yourself, and if it doesn't hurt, then you have a bigger problem. I can also guarantee you won't meet anyone who's been through it and doesn't feel like it was worth it in the end. Remember that this pain and confusion doesn't have to be what defines you. How you respond to it will do that.

So, don't be afraid of feeling lost. In reality, we all are to some degree or another. Uncertainty can be one of the worst diseases of the mind if we allow it to be. Luckily our brain is much stronger than we even realize. How you see this phase in your life will make the biggest difference, and never worry about feeling alone either. Very few people can face the unknown future without some fear in their hearts. The ones that do are usually people who tend to be a little too reckless for their own good. This shared fear can be what brings us together. If you choose to see it that way, then you'll find comfort in unexpected places.

This fear can also be exactly what you need to push forward. Real change can only occur in our moments of true vulnerability. Playing it safe never got anyone anywhere that they really wanted to go. Changing yourself and your life means taking risks. And if you can learn to embrace that rather than fear it, then you'll quickly realize how many steps forward you've already taken.

There's one other important thing we all need to realize. Even after all of this self reflection and personal growth, you will still never fully reach the perfect person you hope to be. Believe it or not, that's the biggest blessing in all of our lives. We all fear growth and change. What we should really be afraid of is what happens when those things stop. Once we stop moving forward, we'll realize we aren't moving at all, and becoming stagnant should really be our biggest fear of all.

The ability to constantly improve, continuously grow, and always better ourselves is a gift, not a curse. Your ability to see and embrace that will be the only thing holding you back. Asking yourself who you want to be is the first step. But having the courage to act on it will be all that matters in the end. And no matter how lost you may get, it's never too late to go back to the beginning.

"It's never too late to be who you might have been."
-George Eliot