We’re essentially nature. Even if we think of ourselves as separate from it. That’s why personal transformation is important. As nature, change is inherent in our lives. Our situations, aspirations, environments, mindsets, and relationships constantly adjust to our current conditions. We couldn’t stop it if we tried. Although we occasionally, or frequently, forget.
Psychologists even have a name for it. The “end of history illusion” is when people recognize how much they changed in the past but underestimate how much they’ll change in the future.
Personal transformation is similar. It happens when you realize how much you’ve changed. When you see who you’ve been, who you are now, and integrate the two. Transforming into a new version of yourself. It’s important because you outgrow yourself. As you experience more in life, you learn. You not only gain perspective but wisdom.
Your mind grows as you do, but old patterns can hold you back
Think of all the beliefs you had growing up. Plus all of the changes you’ve made since then. There have probably been different moves, jobs, and relationships. Your experiences change you. You grow. As you learn, your mindset expands and you perceive more options.
Inevitably, old patterns hold you back. You need to create new ones but most people are unsure why or how. That’s when personal transformation becomes important. The way out is in, as Thích Nhất Hạnh said.
You can either hold onto what’s already in motion or move forward with it
When you’re faced with change, you can either spend your energy trying to maintain what you had, trying to keep what’s familiar, or you can move with it. Accepting change and allowing yourself to change with it. Once you accept change and make decisions that flow with it, you’ll allow energy to work with you and for you.
Once you realize you’ve changed, you’re in a transformation
Transformation begins with realization. The question is, who are you now? Take a close look, do you believe the same things you used to? Do you have the same needs or interests? Ask yourself what you believe, need, and desire now, and allow the truth to come through. The more curiosity than criticism, the better. There’s also a lot to be said for the transformative force of joy.
Patience is your friend because understanding takes time
It may take time to understand who you are now. View yourself as an outsider and take a self-assessment, without judgment, to understand who you are and who you’re becoming. Like plants, we grow over time, developing roots and new offshoots with a lot happening beneath the surface.
Personal transformation is a beautiful process. It happens when you open up to new people, ideas, and experiences. Knowing ourselves leads to insight. Without it, we risk acting in a way that doesn’t fulfill our own needs or beliefs. And that’s a recipe for dissatisfaction and unhappiness.
Personal transformation leads to freedom
When you see who you are now and who you’ve been incredible wisdom results. You begin to see we all change over time and that both our painful and loving experiences cause us to grow.
When you allow for personal transformation, you allow yourself to live more fully, free from the constraints that held you back before. You give yourself room to change, grow, and experience life in ways your previous self couldn’t imagine.
