Learning Corner

Photo by Håkon Grimstad, Unsplash.com What is the process of becoming? I experience it as a fluid process: one state changing into another. When we mention the word transformation the butterfly is the first symbol to appear. Is it because the change that the caterpillar goes through is so drastically different than its original form? It is clearly the most noticeable visually. The Oxford dictionary defines transformation as: a thorough or dramatic change in form or appearance. Surely the butterfly is a fine example. Miriam Webster says it differently. The first definition is an act, process, or instance of transforming or being transformed. I prefer this definition even though it does the unsettling thing of using a form of the word itself as part of the definition—always somewhat disconcerting. Perhaps the simplest definition might be transformation is the process of changing. This is the closest to what I mean when…

Continue Reading Transformation is Becoming

“Growth is a tender and delicate thing, dependent on the conditions and actions surrounding the growing plant, animal, or person.” We think of growing as happening naturally. “It is the most natural thing in the world,” we say. However, it is not necessarily easy. I once made the horrible mistake of helping a duckling just beginning to emerge from its shell to break part of the shell away. I didn’t realize that the struggle of breaking through the shell was part of what strengthened its lungs to meet the challenge of regular breathing. Unfortunately, the duckling did not survive. This was an acutely painful lesson in the value of struggle. Even if we don’t yet understand the reason for struggle, it may be serving an important purpose in our future growth. I believe the struggles we go through when we Steer Through our personal storms in life help us to…

Continue Reading The Struggle to Grow

We often think that weathering the storm is the best we can do in times of adversity. I believe that we can do more. Setting our course, and following the path that we set out upon will aid us in Steering Through any hard times that we experience. Caroline Myss, author and medical intuitive, says, “It is the storms in our life that refine our instincts, not calm waters.” Why might that be so? Perhaps the need to pay extra attention and focus during times of adversity hones our senses in a way that grows us. I believe that when we steer through a difficult time we are actually using our Resilience Muscles day by day. Exercising these, like exercising any muscles make them stronger. A well-known Japanese novelist, Haruki Murakami makes his belief clear about the transformative power of the storms of our lives. He states, “When you come…

Continue Reading Steering Through the Storm