Allowing Transformation

The old joke isn't far from from truth: How many therapists does it take to change a light bulb? Only one, but the light bulb has to want to change.

How many times this week have you thought about the changes you wish you'd make in the habits that you know are sabotaging your professional goals or your health? What dysfunctional habits have you organized your life around? I have a whole collection of comfortable, familiar, sabotaging, dysfunctional habits, and I bet you do, too.

Change, though, can be simply trading one unproductive way of being for another. This is what some alcoholics do when they trade liquor for coffee and cigarettes and compulsive participation in their 12-Step programs. Substituting addictions is why AA---one of the more successful self-help programs---has only a 20% long term effectiveness rate. Likewise, changing from coffee to green tea as my morning ritual beverage doesn't help me start the day any differently, let alone any earlier.

Change is not the same as true transformation. Transformation is moving from electric lights to solar powered illuimation, whether by way of living purely by the natural rhythm of the sun, or by a more high tech solarized method. It's choosing to take a walk instead of settling cozily into my chair mug in hand, as my morning ritual.

Transformation starts with examining the role and the pay offs of the distraction of addictions, and finding ways to allow what those detouring habits serve to pervent. Transformation is allowing the power of the Now. Change is waiting for the ducks to line up. Transformation can be in the smallest of things, starting with is acting "as if" --- "as if" we can experiment with a different choice today, "as if" there were no obstacles, "as if" we had no fear, "as if" we live like we've said we really want to be living, "as if"….."as if"….."as if"…..

Gandhi said, be the change you wish to see in the world. I would add to that, allow the transformation opportunities that present themselves every day.

Dr Deah's Musings
Copyright 2005-2006 by Liminal Realities
a personal growth education venture
Deah Curry PhD, publisher