I'm on fire!?! Watch out! :-)

I just read a helpful article by Marianne Weidlein, a wise business consultant and personal coach, who happens to live in Ashland, Oregon (where I live). The article is called What Is Transmutation?

Transmutation is a change from one form or condition to another. An example is the biological transmutation of a caterpillar larva into an adult butterfly. The human parallel is a major change in consciousness. I am currently going through transmutation. I am trying to avoid negatively reacting to bad experiences.

So, what am I going to do about this goal? The article says it takes practice, and that seems believable. Every new skill takes practice. So I'm going to watch myself, watch my reactions. When I see the habitual negativity cropping up, I will intentionally turn it around, spin it 180 degrees and practice seeing the positive aspects of the situation.

The article says that the world around me may remain unchanged, the people in my life still trapped in the throes of negative habits. This is a good reminder. I should keep in mind that people around me aren’t also necessarily transmuting. As the article suggests, I will meet these realities with acceptance, compassion, and strength. 

One thing that came up while reading the article was my reactions to the gender discrimination I faced. The situation wasn’t good, but I can't let it limit me. I can't imagine anything worse than spending any more time being a victim. I have so much to give, to offer. I want to help others. I don't want to be some angry feminist. I love men. I have compassion for the problems they've had in their lives. I can’t rely on just compassion though. I have to maintain my integrity and stand up for myself also.

The main point of Weidlein’s article is that we can transmute. It's difficult, but doable, and beautiful in the long run. Birds and bugs try to eat the larva while it's transmuting. I've experienced that. Oh dear, there I go with negativity again. And… here I go with practicing positivity. Right now I'm moving the signpost 180 degrees, flipping it back in the positive direction.

I'm a visual person. I found the image above on the web. It has to do with fire danger, but I'm going to use it for my purposes. For me the low means low power, low self-esteem, low compassion, low positivity. It means reacting with lowbrow negativity and criticism of others. When I find myself having this habitual low reaction, I’m going to mentally move that arrow to the right. I will gently recondition myself. I want extreme positivity, joy, compassion, and highbrow reactions, or at least high positivity, joy, compassion, and highbrow reactions! :-) I will love with fire in my belly. I will have red-hot passion for what I do and can achieve. I think I’m liking that I stumbled upon a fire metaphor. But the main thing to remember right now is my ability to flip that arrow to the RIGHT.