Transformational change seeks wholeness
May 6th, 2008 by spaceagesage
Life changing transformation doesn’t just suddenly appear. We can have abrupt insights, make drastic alterations to our lives, and see things differently in short periods of time, but foundational cha
nge requires inner work at the roots of who and what we are. Like the morning sun on the horizon, the journey toward wholeness can renew daily for the rest of our lives. Two keys to this kind of change require treating ourselves to some kinder and more gentle nurturing.
This is the last in a series where we take a deeper look at seven tools for transformation presented by authors Don Riso and Russ Hudson in their book The Wisdom of the Enneagram. In previous posts, we covered the tools called Seeking Truth, Not Doing, Willing to Be Open, Getting Proper Support, and Learning from Everything. In this last post, we look at Riso and Hudson’s final two tools: Cultivating a Real Love of Self and Having a Practice.
Cultivating a Real Love of Self
I have already covered loving ourselves, or more specifically why we don’t love our selves, here. In addition Riso and Hudson write,
… one central aspect of a mature love of ourselves is caring about our growth sufficiently that we do not flee from the discomfort or pain of our actual condition. We must love ourselves enough not to abandon ourselves …
They add that it is easy to flee into worry, fantasy, or busyness. Sometimes real change is very much in your face, and I have found embracing a healthy self-love makes the changes smoother and they take you deeper into your own heart. Once there, action needs to follow insight. According to Doc Childre and Howard Martin, creators of The HeartMath Solution:
There’s much insight to be gained during these times by aligning heart and mind. As we achieve alignment, the experience of new awareness will become tangible and alive. Now is the time to take that promise to heart. But having insights is different than acting on them. We must follow the heart and shape a better world for ourselves and the collective whole.
Having a Practice
Having a Practice, according to The Wisdom of the Enneagram, can mean different things to different people, such as meditation, yoga, or religion, but the bottom line is to discover the Divine. I have seen awesome intelligence in nature’s design, I have seen love embodied on the faces of a mother and child, and I have seen true friendship and trust in the heart of my husband. These moments make life worth living because they are beyond the mundane and remind us that there is more to this world than our daily existence. By delving intelligently into those things greater than ourselves, we see ourselves reflected in them and become motivated to change. The process of surrendering to something is not about losing control, it is about gaining a strength that transcends beyond the fight, beyond the anger, beyond the fear. When I let go and let God, I see more clearly, with more passion, and with greater capacity to change the world for the better.
From Sara Paddison, Hidden Power of the Heart:
When you have compassion and surrender to your own heart, you are surrendering to the hidden power in your heart, God. You are surrendering to love, because God is Love, the cohesive force of the universe that connects us all. Surrender is not just a religious concept; it’s a power tool for listening to the voice of your spirit and following its directions.
POCKET-THOUGHT:
We all have experienced relationships, moments, and lessons that make us want to be better people. Those moments are nurtured when we love ourselves enough to push through our normal self-limiting messages and habits and when we see ourselves in the big picture of life where we can grow and help others for the betterment of the world. Change is just a thought away.
Where do you want to grow, change, and transform?
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Photo credit: speech path girl