Change and Transformation

I do not know what to write, how to express what has been my week since my last post. A lot of emotional downs, with ups coming in the subsequent wake of the passing storm. In this, I am thankful for a few individuals, who in their wonderfulness have shared their love, advice and journey with me. Yes, I, too, desire the words and love of a mentoring soul. I am thankful for these wise women who shed light on my darkness and brightness on my life, actively and passively!

A number of things could be surmised in the following words, but I seek to keep it in brevity; please enjoy two separate entries below as you intermix the thoughts and feelings of change and transformation:

The Journey of Transformation

But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do—
determined to save
the only life you could save.

— from The Journey by Mary Oliver

I had been contemplating “transformation” and what it means to me when I came across this Mary Oliver poem. I’d been thinking about how change and transformation are obviously closely related, but transformation just feels more deeply personal and life-altering to me. Personal, in the sense that, though change is inevitable, transformation feels more like a conscious change that, once chosen, becomes undeniable. Life-altering, in the sense that conscious change feels to me like a courageous step toward growth and expansion.

Without change, transformation is simply not possible, but change is always occurring with or without a transformative result. The difference lies within us. I know, for myself, that I can quickly center myself into the present moment, but until I really meet myself there I never fully arrive. It’s when I come in direct contact with the moment that I can feel the transformation already beginning. It’s the ability to look around and really see what’s going on while allowing myself to feel the effects inside of me, whether they are physical, mental, emotional—or all of the above. 

Allowing a natural expansion

I find that when I really let myself feel from within, there is a natural expansion outward that occurs without me having to coax or force it. Perhaps that expansion is actually the recognition of the presence of something greater in life that can at that moment, if allowed, guide us toward transformation.

Change suggests an outward shift and transformation suggests an inner shift. There are times we can choose change and, more often, there are times when change just happens, but transformation is always, always a conscious choice. It takes real courage to go “deeper and deeper into the world,” but when each step can bring you closer to the person you know you are and toward the life you want to live, why not????

How does transformation fit into your life experience right now? I invite you to contemplate this inspiring theme and how it affects you as you look ahead and embrace this wonderful new blessing of a year. May we all remember our connection to each other and to something greater that is beyond words, and may we all embrace and enjoy the journey!

***

Want the Change
~ Rainer Maria Rilke

Be inspired by the flame where everything shines as it disappears. The artist, when sketching, loves nothing so much as the curves of the body as it turns away.

What locks itself in sameness has congealed.

Pour yourself out like a fountain.

Flow into the knowledge that what you are seeking

finishes often at the start, and with ending, begins.

Every happiness is the child of a separation

it did not think it could survive.