Storybusting

Transformation is a story-busting technology. What I mean by story is an idea of how I think things are or should be, when in reality it may not be the truth. Like a fairy tale, not based in reality. I'm shocked at how easily stories drop away when I feel my resistance to doing something, usually held in place by some old conversation about myself. What? You want examples? Why I'm glad you asked...

Two days ago, I was walking down the hall at work. I was in what I call "IT Mode", meaning I was in a focused and intense demeanor because I wanted to accomplish tasks on some of the Information Technology projects I'm involved with. There's also a certain disposition and energy I traditionally have with "IT Mode" which I'll explain. My story was that I needed to focus my energy, be intense, and that it was ok to be antisocial and ignore others around me to get things done efficiently. And this is a common behavior set for me when I get busy. So I was already getting well-settled into my automatic "IT Mode" of being intense and gruff, when all of a sudden I saw this old story rambling on in my mind. Somehow I've put it together that working hard and being sociable don't mix. It's either one or the other in this system. But that's simply not true. I know that it works to get things done, but if I don't see that it is just a story, all other possibilities for ways of working are cut off. I actually might accomplish as much or more, and with ease and effortlessness. So when I saw this happening, I just said out loud in the hall "hey, I can be social anytime I want" and started chuckling. Immediately I felt the intensity and weight drop away and my body lighten. The rest of the day, I accomplished just as much as I would have by being intense and focused, but I did my work with total ease. I also was kind and sociable with my co-workers and really took time for them. When they came to me with questions, I heard what they were saying, instead of trying to fill in what I thought they were going to say. Everything was smooth and effortless.

Second story-busted...I was lying on my couch this past evening, beating myself up for not working on one of my songs. What I'd call a mechanical "artist" behavior pattern. After all making music and being creative must be difficult and painful...right? Woe is me, I'm an artist and I must struggle. Wrong! Soon that story-busting Transformation came along. I was already well into my story as if I was my story...that I was too tired to accomplish anything, and that my songs aren't that good anyways and all sound the same, blah, blah, blah. Instantly, I was fully aware of this story, but listening to it as if I were an outside observer. I also could really feel the resistance in my body to working on music, and to be honest, resistance to doing anything in that moment. Something hit, I started listening non-judgmentally to my story. So after this literally 2 second process of seeing the story, feeling the resistance, I popped right up from my couch, set up my microphone and started recording acoustic guitar right into Pro Tools. Blam, bop, pow! Story busted, Batman!

And now I see that both stories are connected, things have to be a struggle in both of these stories to get anything accomplished. That's survival mode. Transformation has offered up totally new and alive possibilities. So it's really a combination of two access roads that I've been experiencing a lot lately. In combination it's really Principles One and Three of Transformation in action here. Feeling my resistance or whatever emotion or mood I'm experiencing (Not falling into Principle One-anything you resist persists, grows stronger and dominates your life), and listening to my mind chatter on, without judging it (Principle Three-anything you see exactly as it is, will complete itself) for doing what it does. I somehow get all giddy and find it hilarious that it can be that easy. It really is magic.

So there's the possibility, with Transformation ten seconds ago you can be lost in a story of complaint and resistance, and ten seconds later I'm there doing exactly what I want, just by seeing what is, and the story drops away. Without having to do anything. Transformation Rocks And so does James Brown...so check out an awesome live performance of Good Foot. Funky.