We’ve been discussing Transformation: The literal change from one form to another. In this case we are working on transformation in our lives, from the average day-to-day to a life we truly, deeply, love living. In September we talked about the real-life monsters that can creep up and stand in the way when we’re undergoing any change. October was all about the demolition phase of change, when we let go of and clean out the old ways of being to make room for a new way of being. This month we continue to deepen the conversation of Transformation as we look at how to increase our capacity.
We discuss gratitude a lot here and I talk a lot about it in my coaching practice and daily life. That’s because it’s the quickest way to raise our energetic vibration to become a match for that which we want to experience in life, and because gratitude and fear/anger cannot exist at the same time.
If you have practiced gratitude for a long period of time, you may have noticed that the changes that seemed to be so profound in the beginning, can taper off or even stop. This is because while gratitude is a great starting point, it’s a PART of a bigger process. If you jump into gratitude and ignore the rest of the process, you can stagnate.
Transformation involves creating space for MORE. When you’re dissatisfied with the old way of living life, it’s an indicator that you want to do, be, or have MORE. And so, to make space for MORE, you are being called to increase your capacity. You have the potential to have anything you want to have. It’s your birthright as a human living on planet earth. Every resource imaginable is potentially yours. You have the potential to move mountains, walk on water, become a billionaire captain of industry—but you may not have that capacity. Capacity is potential that has developed authentically in your experience. It’s equal to your level of consciousness.
Mary Morrissey, a transformational coach and my mentor, teaches a 5-step process that is based on the transformational teachings of Ernest Holmes (founder of The Science of Mind) and drawn from the Vedas. (The Vedas are a collection of hymns and other religious texts composed in India between about 1500 and 1000 BCE. It includes elements such as liturgical material as well as mythological accounts, poems, prayers, and formulas considered to be sacred by the Vedic religion.) During this 5-step process, you deepen your understanding of Gratitude and its role in transformation.
The 5 steps are:
- Recognize
- Unify
- Realize
- Give thanks
- Release
Over the coming months we’re going to break these steps down. So, let’s begin with #1.
Recognize: Recognize is a thinking step. You recognize mentally who you really are, that you are always connected to Source energy (God, the Universe, etc.).
If you were raised with a religious background, you may have had an upbringing that taught you that you are full of sin, separated from God by your sin, and it’s in your nature and thus nothing that you ever do will allow you to be whole or complete or ‘good enough’ for God. Yet, anyone who has ever held a newborn baby knows that we are all born into this world whole, complete, and perfect. With respect for all religious paths, I have found in my experience that the only thing that keeps me separate from source energy is any vibration that has a low frequency. Ironically, the vibrational frequency of guilt is a very low vibration. The more you feel guilty, the more separate from Source you will feel.
The Truth is, that there is no separation. There is a reason why you WANT the things and experiences that you want. As a being who is divinely connected with Source, all the things that you want for your life continue to flow to you for no other reason than: it’s who you are.
A client tells her story: “When my children were 3 and 1 we were in the car and I was listening to my oldest child who was singing sweetly to herself. I had one of those ‘mom’ moments when I realized that although she was a handful, she was the perfect creation. She was a 3-year-old and 3-year-olds were SUPPOSED to be curious and into everything. At 2, she was the perfect 2-year-old. At a year, she was the perfect 1-year-old. Although she had changed form, nothing had changed from that perfect newborn.” And then she thought, “If I can accept that she is perfect at 3 for her current level of development, then why is it so hard for me to accept that I am also perfect at 30-something?”
Consider the Truth of this simple story. At every age in life you are learning and growing. You would never hold a 3-year-old to the standard of a 5-year-old. You know that they need to learn and grow and develop and eventually they will be 5 and capable of doing the things that a 5-year-old does. However, as a being who has lived on the planet for 3 years, they are perfectly developed for who they are. At every age you too are a perfect creation, doing your very best at your current level of understanding and development. Source, just like a loving parent, knows and understands you and is proud of you at every turn. The only person who subjects you to judgement is yourself.
You were created in order for the Universe to expand through you. Your job is to literally create more. Your desires for things and experiences that feel good to you are a part of that creative process. If you consider human evolution on our planet, you see this evidence throughout history. In the past 50 years through technological advancements, we have completely transformed the way that humans live in a very short amount of time. These advancements in the world happened because someone wanted to create a better feeling life for themselves or others. Someone else wanted to feel good, and so all of humanity benefits!
If you’re like I used to be, you may feel like actually getting what you want from life makes you ‘selfish’ or ‘entitled’. You may feel that if you were to get everything that you want, someone else would lose out on something that they want. This idea comes from a lack mentality or the mindset that there is not enough to go around. Part of RECOGNIZE is recognizing that the Universe has an ever-growing abundance of resources. No matter how the demand grows, the supply will always more than keep up. So, when you recognize (think) that the Universe is constantly expanding, there is never any reason to feel guilty or spoiled for getting the things you really want. And when you recognize that the Universe constantly expands because you and I are causing it to expand through actually doing, being, and having the things that we want to do, be, and have; you realize that you are not only one with Source, you are Source- acting through you as You. In this way, there is literally no separation.
When you recognize that you come into this world as perfect, whole, and complete and that your job is expansion through creativity, you begin to see your Truth. The Truth is that no matter how dark your circumstances seem, your connection to Source energy is always bigger. The Truth of who you are says that you are not defined by your circumstances. Your Truth is that you are a mighty creative force.
Here are some simple suggestions to help you this month as you learn to recognize the Truth of who you really are:
- Practice seeing the goodness in every person. When you find yourself in judgment of another, practice giving them the benefit of the doubt. Consider what life must be like for them to have arrived at a place where their behavior seems appropriate to them. A little empathy can shed new light and the positive aspects of even the most annoying people will naturally surface.
- Change your routine. Go down the street the opposite way and notice what you see. Changing up your routine allows you to notice new details all around you. Sometimes we forget just how amazing the planet on which we live truly is! Appreciating the grandeur of all of creation reminds you of who you are and why you’re here.
- Get out of your mind. As soon as you notice ‘stinkin thinkin’, start naming objects that surround to break your negative thinking. “Carpet, sofa, chair, TV, light, afghan, phone” or whatever you see. This interrupts the train of thought and brings your energy to neutral.
- Stay in the present moment. If you MUST focus on more, think only of this 24-hour day. Notice what triggers you or what makes you happy. Write this in your journal.
- Let go of the story that keeps you stuck. Begin imagining a new better version of you! Without the story that tells you that you are less than or can’t, begin writing about all of the wonderful things that you ARE and that you CAN do. If you have to, start small. Just like practicing gratitude, your “I AM” list will grow. “I get out of bed on more days than I don’t. I am loving with my children more than not. I am mostly patient with my co-workers.”
In my coaching practice I work with clients who come from all spiritual backgrounds. When I work with you, I see you as the whole and complete person who is capable of anything that you truly desire. I help my clients as they come into alignment with this vision. Contact me to schedule your first 30-minute call right now. Together we can work through the issues that you feel are holding you back from living a life you love!