Trust the Process

There is value in understanding the process. There are processes all over the place. Recently, at work, I had this conversation with a mentor. I had the feeling that I was falling behind. I felt like I wasn’t doing my job. I felt like I hadn’t done enough to warrant any sort of congratulations. As I talked with this mentor, we ultimately found that I was unfairly comparing myself to another colleague. This colleague has been doing this work for 10 or more years. I have been doing this work for four months. I realized there was a disconnect there.

At this point, my mentor told me something powerful: trust the process. He coached me by telling me that I am learning the process. I had seen the process once before and now I was actually in the process. He then went on to say that, over time, I would continue to sharpen my skills, become better at the process, and even look for ways to improve the process. My mentor wanted me to be assured that I was not, in any way, underperforming. I was performing really well and shouldn’t be concerned.

This same lesson is something I learned when I did my moral inventory. Initially, I didn’t understand why I just couldn’t write down all my mistakes and move on. The process seemed so antiquated. Writing down all my mistakes was difficult enough, but then to consider places and people as well was hard. After that, taking the time to organize my list. I chose to organize my list in chronological order. After that, I had to identify the negative - or positive - trait I was displaying. If the character trait was a negative trait, I was encouraged to find the Christ-like attribute that could remedy that trait.

Looking back, I understand why the process is the way it is. Yes, the process is very structured; however, that structure provides safety when writing the moral inventory. More importantly, the process identified what negative characteristics I needed to replace with Christ-like characteristics. I understood where I stood and what direction I needed to head. It wasn’t an easy process, but it was a powerful process!

This reminds me of Nephi, when he was commanded to build the boat. Nephi’s first reaction wasn’t “why?!” or “how?!”. Nephi’s first reaction was “Lord, whither shall I go that I may find ore to molten, that I may make tools to construct the ship after the manner which thou hast shown unto me?” (1 Nephi 17:9) When Nephi was questioned and mocked for building the boat, his response was “And now, if the Lord has such great power, and has wrought so many miracles among the children of men, how is it that he cannot ainstruct me, that I should build a ship?” (1 Nephi 17:51) Nephi trusted the process, and was able to build the boat according to the Lord’s designs. Any other design probably would have failed. The Lord’s design, however, will never fail.

There is power in repentance and it is a process. Trusting the process the Lord has prescribed is the only way to find happiness in this life, and the one to come. The process of writing a moral inventory is powerful and inspirational. There are so many great things learned! By trusting the process the Lord has set, moral inventories can truly be the gateway to a new, sober life!