Transformation. We hear it, see it, maybe even feel it – but how does it pertain to us personally? Does it imply that our lives will completely change? Does it require us to alter the way we think and speak? Does it mean we’ll have to leave a marriage, say goodbye to old friends? There are all sorts of renderings that take place in life, whether we embrace them or not. For transformation demands change: change of condition, form, appearance, nature or function. Metamorphosis ensues when something has outgrown its skin; outlived its purpose.
We cannot control what others do or say (though some of us spend the better part of our precious lives trying), but we can control our responses. It may not be easy, but we can transfigure ourselves through honest self evaluation. This requires reflective time spent alone – where meditation or prayer give rise to conceptual expansiveness and self forgiveness. While it is never easy to admit to less savory shortcomings such as the need to dominate others or have the final word, gaining insight through contemplation can nourish relationship to ourselves as well as with others. We can learn to stop blaming another for our unhappiness or discomfort and look within to affect lasting change. In other words, we can transform our thinking, transform our way of being in the world.
What holds us back? A big stumbling block for many is a lack of self worth. This leads to the unconscious belief that we can’t have what we most desire. Some make excuses to keep themselves down: no money, no time, no training. If this fits, consider no faith, and instead try opening to possibilities and affirming a willingness to accept a wider purview. Move tentatively forward, knowing the gods usually meet us halfway. While cultivating patience, resolve to know yourself better by exhibiting a more authentic presence in the mirror and to the world. Infinite possibilities spring from the depths of tranquil self awareness.
image of dolphins in Kealakekua Bay – John Dunlea