Transformation is a big word: sometimes scary, often mysterious. It gets bantered around so much as to almost become meaningless (which is a shame).
So, what does it really mean?
First, let’s take a look at it from an inner awareness perspective as I share a personal story.
You see, I felt much the same way more than a decade ago when I first attended Debbie Ford’s Shadow Process Weekend. Following that weekend, the most powerful weekend of my life, I understood what transformation meant but could not verbalize it very well. A year as I started to study personally with Debbie, she explained that transformation is simply a shift in perspective. For instance, if you look around a room while you are sitting in a chair, things look one way. If you stand up, the perspective is a little different. If you lie on the floor, the view is even more different. You see things in a way you hadn’t before. You may even notice things you never noticed before. If you don’t believe me, try this exercise right now in a familiar room in your house.
You might say, big deal, now I can see those cobwebs in the corner of my ceiling. How does that relate to my business? How can that help me realize my dreams and goals?
Well, perspective is everything. It can be the difference between:
- A great day and a lousy day
- Meeting your business goals and struggling financially
- An extraordinary life with a growing business and the status quo.
My favorite example to illustrate the concept of transformation comes from one small experience I had while attending my second Shadow Process Weekend at Omega Institute in New York.
The Vignette of the Bullfrog
It was just about dawn on Saturday morning and I was sitting at my favorite space on the campus, The Yearning Pond, doing my homework and journaling. A beautiful June morning, the birds were singing, the beautiful sanctuary was within view, and the sounds of the waterfall within the pond added even more serenity to the moment. Then, I noticed a noise: the kind of annoying, repetitive noise that irritates you to your very core like nails on a chalkboard or the kid behind you in the movie theater kicking your seat.
Boy was I irritated. Here I am in this beautiful sacred space doing deep inner work trying to experience personal transformation and someone somewhere is making this annoying noise. After a few minutes, I gave up on my journaling and introspection and left the bench I was sitting on in a huff, off in search of the source of this racket.
I walked toward the source of the noise that seemed to be emanating from the sanctuary. I’m thinking to myself, in a profoundly negative mindset, what kind of sanctuary is this if there is racket at 6am in the morning? What kind of spiritual space is this?
I got to the top of the hill where the sanctuary sits, removed my shoes, and proceeded along the wooden walkway toward the entrance when, as I passed the lily pond, I heard it. The noise wasn’t a racket after all! It was several beautiful bullfrogs sitting on the flowering lily pads calling to one another. In an instant, a shift and a transformation occurred. My irritation and negativity melted away as I gleefully enjoyed watching and listening to these cool creatures. I felt pure joy as if I were a kid again. I even got some very satisfying photographs of my bullfrog friends who allowed me to experience firsthand exactly what Debbie was teaching.
Nice Story, But Where’s the Practical Application for My Business?
The point of the whole story is that it only takes a moment for transformation to occur. You feel a shift within your body and your consciousness. That shift leads to tangible, external results.
Consider taking one of the following practical action steps to transform your business:
- When you’re struggling and hitting roadblocks trying to complete a project, launch a product, or contact a prospect, just stop struggling. Stop. Go do something else unrelated to the task and hand – get out in nature, walk, play music, anything. See what new inspired solutions show themselves.
- Get an outside, objective perspective on your business plans, systems, and operations. Bring in a new perspective and be open to change. Watch it spark your results and increase your productivity.
- Observe your customer service activities with the perspective of a beginner’s mind. If you knew nothing about what you were doing, what would you think? How would you feel? Use this new knowledge to nurture your customers better.
The opportunities for a practical perspective shift abound when you own your own business because you are involved in everything. Use this tool and the story of the bullfrog to reignite a spark inside of you, boost your business, and generally enjoy the journey more.
By simply making the choice to be open to the power of transformation, having the willingness to entertain new perspectives, and mustering the courage to take action, you can take your business to new heights.
(Note: Yes this is THE frog from the story in the picture! )