Self-Realization is not an "event" or a new acquirement

It is an "understanding," an awareness of that which is.

It is your real natureyour real Self.
How can the "real" be "realized?"
It can only be "recognized" as such.
Nothing gained, nothing lost...
Paayaa kahe so baanwara, khoyaa kahe so kuda
Paayaa khoyaa kucch nahin, jeeon ka teeon bharpur. ~Kabir

He who calls it an attainment is crazy; and he who considers it as lost is phony;
Nothing ever attained or lost, the Real remains ever so full and complete.

Na naidey na dur, sarvattra-bharpur, haadraa hadurGurubani

Neither near nor far; full and all pervading, present everywhere

That which is has verily been recognized as such. This is long and short of self-
realization.
The Gita (2.16) assures us that 'the unreal never is; the real never ceases to be.' The
sages and seers of the world have talked about enlightenment by way of concession for
the not-yet-enlightened.
The story of The Bonded Mule metaphorically explains the phenomenon of human
bondage and enlightenment. Enjoy reading this story.
The Story of a Bonded Mule!
In a small village, there lived a potter. He had a mule. Everyday his mule would carry
soil from the field to his house. Since the field was quite far off, the potter would rest
under a tree midway, tying his mule nearby.
One day, the potter forgot to take the rope with which he tied the mule everyday. When
he reached the tree, he thought, How do I tie this mule today? He might run away if I
sleep. The potter decided to tie down holding the mules ears so that the mule would
not run away.
But this way neither the mule was comfortable nor the potter was able to take rest. A
sage, who happened to be passing by, saw the potter holding on to the mules ears.
Then the sage wanted to know what the problem of the potter was. When the potter told
the sage what the problem was, the wise sage said, Take the mule to the place where
you tie him everyday. Pretend to tie him using an imaginary rope. I assure you he wont
run away. The potter did what the sage had said.
He left the mule and went to take a nap. When he woke up, to his surprise and relief, he
found the mule standing in the same place.
Soon the potter prepared to leave for home. But the mule did not move. What is wrong
with this mule! exclaimed the potter in frustration.
Luckily, the potter saw the wise sage again. He ran up to the sage and told him about
the mules strange behavior. The sage said, You tied up the mule, but did you untie
him? Go and pretend to untie the rope with which you had tied the mule. The potter
followed the sages advice.
Now the mule was ready to leave for home. The potter understood that mule was the
bonded mule. The potter thanked the wise sage and went home happily with his mule.
http://www.english-for-students.com/Short-Stories.html