By Natalie Amsden Rivera
Nothing stands still in life. Change is constant, inevitable. As you read these words, you are moving, growing, changing. Even knowing this, we often live in resistance to change, and therefore to life itself.
We cling to old circumstances and identities, like a newly hatched butterfly holding onto its old chrysalis as it learns to spread its wings.
When change is thrust upon us, it often triggers total transformations. Today, these phenomena are happening in record numbers. As the world changes around us, many of us feel a deep longing for something more—for connection, love, joy, peace, and meaning. We are all awakening, each in our own way and in our own time. For some of us the shift begins when we’re overcome with grief or after a tsunami of unwanted pain. For others the shift begins when we experience a divine spark of inspiration, perhaps from a synchronistic event or the powerful stories in an inspirational book.
How Mass Change Leads to Personal Transformation
You’ve probably heard the idiom, “Don’t upset the applecart,” and its warning not to disturb the way things are done for fear we might “mess them up.” Our culture encourages us to strive for mediocrity and the status quo. If you’ve ever experienced transformation in your own life, you likely met with resistance from well-meaning loved ones who cautioned you not to change.
We go about our lives collecting apples and piling them neatly into our carts. When the road gets bumpy our primary goal is to traverse the challenge unscathed—applecart intact. A tremendous amount of our energy goes into sustaining the applecart, discretely tucking rotten ones underneath shiny ones, afraid discarding the bad might cause too great a shift. When we encounter new apples we face them with intense skepticism, unwilling to bite into the unknown.
But that is starting to change, and many are becoming willing to taste new flavors as we find ourselves at a precipice of human transformation. Global economies are shifting, causing more and more of us to lose our jobs, our houses, our possessions, as well as the mind-made identities that we have wrapped up in such things. To put it plainly, our applecarts are being upset.
Tipped on its side, the apples that were meticulously tucked out of site are now obvious and exposed, rotting in the sun. How embarrassing. Or not! When challenges happen, many people breathe a sigh of relief, often to their own surprise.
With nothing left to cling to, we finally let go.
Once the applecart has tipped, people begin to honestly examine the decay and toss out what no longer serves them—the relationships, the jobs, the locations, the stuff.
Before we know it we have completely transformed.
How Personal Change Leads to Mass Transformation
If you, too, have found yourself standing in awe of the remnants of your old life, your old identity, and finally in integrity with your True Self, join the club. You are not alone! Shift. Transform. Become. Do it for yourself, and do it because you know that:
Bearing the depths of one’s soul and telling the true story of personal transformation creates a ripple effect of inspiration throughout humanity.
As author Marianne Williamson says in A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of “A Course in Miracles”:
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are we not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people
won’t feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.
And when we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.
Join the ripple effect!
Transformation Publishing is doing it again! On November 15th we are launching Transform Your Life! BOOK 2, Inspirational Stories and Expert Insights, which is the second in a series of truly inspirational books coauthored by a diverse mosaic of experts and real-life heroes from around the world. From healing through illness and transforming through loss to discovering life’s greater purpose, Transform Your Life! BOOK 2 will open your heart and inspire you to look deeper and dream bigger.
Each author offers a unique perspective in this powerful book, which is filled with proven tools for transforming your life and personal success stories about overcoming the odds, thriving through challenges, and living life to the fullest. After reading this book, you’ll feel empowered to embrace transformation, turn tragedy into triumph, and express more of your true, authentic Self.
Allow the authors of Transform Your Life! BOOK 2 to pay it forward by sharing their hearts, souls, stories, and wisdom with you. You may even discover the key that unlocks the power of your own story contained within the pages of this transformational book.
YOU can pay it forward by sharing the inspiration contained within this book with your family and friends. We want to touch the hearts of as many people as possible and encourage them to embrace their transformation. Below are ideas for ways you can help spread the word:
• Buy a copy for someone in your life who could use a dose of inspiration.
• Recommend Transform Your Life! to people you know.
• Join us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/transformyourlifebook).
• Share YOUR story with others (or submit it to us for a chance to have it published in a future book!).
• Download the eBook through Kindle, Nook, iTunes, Android, and leave feedback.
Sneak Peek:
This issue of Transformation Magazine includes two sneak-peek chapters from the Transform Your Life! book!
- The Unintended Souvenir: Healing with Love and Gratitude “in the Now”
- If Life Hands You a Lemon Make Lemonade
(Transform Your Life! is available through Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and Transformation-Publishing.com as well as all digital, ebook platforms.)
Natalie Rivera is a visionary speaker and entrepreneur. She is passionate about empowering others to GET REAL and live authentically. After a decade of living a life that wasn’t hers and developing Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Natalie let go of everything and completely transformed. Through her journey to healing she rediscovered her true self and greater purpose—to inspire others to transform their lives. Natalie “retired” from the rat race at 24, put herself through school as a freelance designer, created a non-profit teen center, and later created Transformation Services, Inc., which offers motivational speaking, curriculum development, life coaching, event management, and publishing. She is also the Publisher of Transformation Magazine. Visit www.joeelandnatalie.com.