Transformation #81902
January 27th 2010 09:39
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Category: No Category
If you have an addiction to transformation of self like I, you find yourself often faced with insecurities. "Why don't you conform... just a little bit?" says one of my best friends - it's a question which sounds more like a statement, combined with the full charm of his insistently friendly grin, letting me know that he sees the 'flaws' in my radical non-conformity. "Be an educational slave for a few years," unhelpfully offers one of my role models, having heard of my contradicting impulses to both participate in and deny the tertiary educational system. I reply in the negative to both men, aware that I possess freedom they have regretfully said goodbye to.
The guy who was leaning back on a chair crossly, reading a pamphlet at my Centrelink office had a T-shirt that said: Obey Propaganda. He offers the problematic state of mind, not its antithesis, but I guess identifying the problem is the first step.
So what on earth about myself am I trying to transform at the moment? The way I hold my shoulders. I'm trying to focus all my energy on the very tips of my torso. Why do I feel out of joint whenever I get tense? They say that the neck and shoulders are associated with communication - well, am I communicating in a way that makes me happy? Surely, to some extent yes, and to some extent no. I'm hoping that by focusing on one small part of my body I can also learn new things about the rest of it as well, since any part of an organism is connected to all the other parts. Did you know that an iridologist, peering into my eyes with a magnifying glass and a light, can tell about substances present along my jaw or in my stomach? They can even tell me what kind of bone diseases I am most susceptible to. Which will be nothing compared to how much those with a scientific bent will be able to discern from the iris thirty-five years from now.
I am also trying to think about the past and the future in ways that pertain directly to the present. I am fascinated by history and speculating over the future, however I am not making the most of the present. I want to be more 'in the moment'... I have been to some extent inspired by the philosophy of 'mindfulness', as limiting as it seemed when I first encountered it.
What do you most want to transform about yourself? Don't be afraid to brush off those that depend on you staying the same to orient themselves in life. They might be outraged, shocked or unfriendly now, but they will thank you later on. Your decision to transform yourself will remind them that they also need to innovate their souls, however reluctant or conservative they are.
I have this rule: I do not make friends with conservative people. I do not make friends with people who carry any traces of homophobia, racism or sexism. I do not make friends with people who have never left the country they live in. By default this eliminates at least 4/5ths of any modern Western democracy. I get very lonely. But I prize my ability to extricate myself from individuals who rub me the wrong way at the first (alright, sometimes the second or third) sign that they carry undesirable traits. I sometimes forget how warm and enthusiastic I can be, because I am always halting people in the middle of their reaching out to me. I don't want to be privy to their abusive methods of existing, and so I cut them off before they have the chance to leave too many negative impressions. And it works. I save my energy and enthusiasm for the people who won't drain my energy.
As a friend puts it, "you've never had to pretend, so you - don't." But if we all stopped pretending... if we brought out our instinctive charm and found a way to comfortingly disarm the people who stand in our way, the old norms would be shattered. New ones would be obliged to emerge amongst the mediocre. They would be inspired to be more lyrically analytical and/or deal with things urgently important most of the time, not some of the time.
Wouldn't it be nice if you could inspire a revolution? You do. Every day, when you exit your home and affect everyone who comes within sight of you, people change in response to you. Most of the time it's subtle and unremarkable, but sometimes just a glimpse of you can help someone rearrange their entire mentality. So keep your eyes open and your smile handy. You never know what kind of emotional/intellectual journeys you may inspire in another - whether it's a long-term friend who seemed completely unaffected by your good habits, or a kindly stranger who has been waiting for you to walk by all their life.
Perpetual transformation is a lifestyle choice, so how will you transform my words into something that means the most to you?
The guy who was leaning back on a chair crossly, reading a pamphlet at my Centrelink office had a T-shirt that said: Obey Propaganda. He offers the problematic state of mind, not its antithesis, but I guess identifying the problem is the first step.
So what on earth about myself am I trying to transform at the moment? The way I hold my shoulders. I'm trying to focus all my energy on the very tips of my torso. Why do I feel out of joint whenever I get tense? They say that the neck and shoulders are associated with communication - well, am I communicating in a way that makes me happy? Surely, to some extent yes, and to some extent no. I'm hoping that by focusing on one small part of my body I can also learn new things about the rest of it as well, since any part of an organism is connected to all the other parts. Did you know that an iridologist, peering into my eyes with a magnifying glass and a light, can tell about substances present along my jaw or in my stomach? They can even tell me what kind of bone diseases I am most susceptible to. Which will be nothing compared to how much those with a scientific bent will be able to discern from the iris thirty-five years from now.
I am also trying to think about the past and the future in ways that pertain directly to the present. I am fascinated by history and speculating over the future, however I am not making the most of the present. I want to be more 'in the moment'... I have been to some extent inspired by the philosophy of 'mindfulness', as limiting as it seemed when I first encountered it.
What do you most want to transform about yourself? Don't be afraid to brush off those that depend on you staying the same to orient themselves in life. They might be outraged, shocked or unfriendly now, but they will thank you later on. Your decision to transform yourself will remind them that they also need to innovate their souls, however reluctant or conservative they are.
I have this rule: I do not make friends with conservative people. I do not make friends with people who carry any traces of homophobia, racism or sexism. I do not make friends with people who have never left the country they live in. By default this eliminates at least 4/5ths of any modern Western democracy. I get very lonely. But I prize my ability to extricate myself from individuals who rub me the wrong way at the first (alright, sometimes the second or third) sign that they carry undesirable traits. I sometimes forget how warm and enthusiastic I can be, because I am always halting people in the middle of their reaching out to me. I don't want to be privy to their abusive methods of existing, and so I cut them off before they have the chance to leave too many negative impressions. And it works. I save my energy and enthusiasm for the people who won't drain my energy.
As a friend puts it, "you've never had to pretend, so you - don't." But if we all stopped pretending... if we brought out our instinctive charm and found a way to comfortingly disarm the people who stand in our way, the old norms would be shattered. New ones would be obliged to emerge amongst the mediocre. They would be inspired to be more lyrically analytical and/or deal with things urgently important most of the time, not some of the time.
Wouldn't it be nice if you could inspire a revolution? You do. Every day, when you exit your home and affect everyone who comes within sight of you, people change in response to you. Most of the time it's subtle and unremarkable, but sometimes just a glimpse of you can help someone rearrange their entire mentality. So keep your eyes open and your smile handy. You never know what kind of emotional/intellectual journeys you may inspire in another - whether it's a long-term friend who seemed completely unaffected by your good habits, or a kindly stranger who has been waiting for you to walk by all their life.
Perpetual transformation is a lifestyle choice, so how will you transform my words into something that means the most to you?
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