In 2016, right before I decided to move back to the US from Germany, I was introduced to this little orange-covered book called The Alchemist. By pure coincidence, a month later, I took over a product line in my new job called TransForm.
That was a little hint from the Universe of what I was about to embark on.
Alchemy is the process of transmuting metal into gold. The alchemical process starts with a complete disintegration of the original material into ashes, which then go through stages of transmutation and purification, before transforming into a completely new material. Transformation is different from change in that a transformation completely dissolves the old in order to reconstitute a new paradigm.
My own transformation came through many layers and folds. While I acknowledge that our path of destiny is inevitable, my biggest challenge was giving myself the permission to surrender to the process. Ultimately, what allowed me to shatter the layers of illusion and let go of the false self were three key principles.
Transforming through TRUTH, from wound to wisdom
My resistance to transformation came in the form of denial. I felt comforted by the false perception of safety and comfort - secure job, secure relationships, secure future. Over the years, my need for comfort turned into a need for control. I wanted predictability in the ever-changing dynamism of life. It was simply too frightening to take the big leap into the unknown. Yet, every time I chose “safety”, I learned the pain of betraying my Truth. When I finally decided to step into my Truth and embrace the hidden shadows behind my fears, what I often uncovered was a wounded child. The fears were simply projections of my past. By connecting with the flesh of my wounds at the core, I gained a deep wisdom to the truth of who I am.
Transforming through COURAGE, from pain to purpose
There was a famous video of Oprah walking on fire at Tony Robbins’s Unleash the Power Within event. Right before Oprah decided to walk on hot coal, she screamed “Yes Yes Yes” with her hands in a fist and she stormed through the fire walk. There was something that broke through her when she reached the other side, a sense of liberation and power. Courage is the doorway to our untapped power. I can count the number of times when I said “No” to destiny because I felt myself cowering into a shrinking human being. When I made a deal with myself to honor my Truth, I felt connected to a greater power and built a relationship with courage. It was slow but steady. With every little decision, I pushed past my fears so I could step into my own becoming. From quitting my corporate job to creating means of self-expression that are true to who I am, I pushed past my pain and transformed it into my greater purpose.
Transforming through LOVE, from fear to love
Love is the ultimate alchemist of life. When I look back at some of my most transformative experiences, from LeaderShape to Burning, it was the miracles of Love that facilitated the transformation from shame to strength, heart-break to heart-opening and lovelessness to unconditional self-love. What I learned was that Love is always available and that true Love is the unconditional and infinite source we have within each of us. As Paulo Coehlo wrote in The Alchemist, “When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”
By giving ourselves the permission to transform, we become the alchemist of our own life and transform our mess from this human life into pure magic. When we transform our own life, we create a ripple effect that then transforms this world.
P.S. I will end post with this song “Change the World”. Thank you for reading!