Category Archives: authenticity

A ‘sudden’ transformation

1 Reply

6035828507_7db8a99f0f_b

You know how people seem to go through sudden transformations? Like you turn around and they’ve come up with this great idea that’s getting a lot of attention in the blogsphere or they lose weight and look fabulous or it seems in a blink of an eye they are zooming up the corporate ladder.

Must be nice right? At least that’s what I muttered under my breath in my less stellar moments.

I get it now though. I see clearly.

These people went through what I have started calling the imaginal process.

See, a caterpillar is just inching along, munching on leaves all fat and happy (for the purpose of this story, the caterpillar looks like one from A Bug’s Life) when in his body, cells that scientists call imaginal cells start to show up One or two at first but then more and more until the caterpillar, without really knowing why, gets this urge to spin itself into a cocoon.

Then he dissolves into mush. That’s probably a little unnerving.

Those imaginal cells, they have a purpose, and that is to take what was there and make new and different. Not long after, the cocoon breaks open and out climbs a butterfly.

It seems awfully sudden. And miraculous.

Yet I see now that it took work and energy and time. And I believe we go through a similar process in our transformations, though the external changes might not be quite as extreme.

I think that if you think back to the big changes in your life, you will see that you started out much like the caterpillar. The first imaginal cell of an idea appeared-say running a marathon- and maybe you dismissed it as crazy. You didn’t have the time or you didn’t know how to train or you don’t have the drive needed to complete 26 miles. Seriously. But for some reason, you’d think about it every once in awhile and then maybe you’d read an article running and that documentary on running just sucked you in.

Still overwhelming though and seriously, you couldn’t possibly find the time. But more and more the imaginal cells pop up-conversations with coworkers, some pin on pinterest that really inspires you. ‘All of a sudden’ the fear or overwhelm disappears and you find yourself acting. Before you know it, you are already running 10 miles on the weekend and what used to drag your breath from you and shake your kneecaps becomes more routine.

There was a lot of work in there right? Fear and sore muscles and lungs bursting and fatigue. Probably felt like dissolving into mush sometimes. But you transform, become something different.

This idea came to me as I was musing on a transformation that my husband and I had been blessed to be part of. And I realized that what I wanted to do most in this world was share with people that they can do the things they think they can not do. That they don’t have to be special, wait to be a ‘better’ person, have the answers or know what the hell they are doing to make a real impact in their life or the life of someone/something else.

This realization has helped usher in a transformation of my own. I want to take this idea and wring it for everything it has. I want to test the process in my life, I want to explore those who have employed it, I want to talk about effective ways to change and hopefully, encourage others to do the thing they think they cannot do as well.

So this blog is going to be changing. I will share with you whatever I learn. Freely. Because if we all allow for this process in our life, then we become imaginal cells for the world, transforming it into something more beautiful, kinder, stronger, freer.

Welcome to the Imaginal Project.

I am nothing special

6 Replies

29714_1469216566512_1116519927_31327781_4435037_n

Keely’s story, posted on Stubbydog.Org yesterday was a big hit! (at least by my standards). Over 300 likes and 30 shares on facebook. So many wonderful comments.

Many of the comments were along a line I’ve heard a million times before when people learn about our participation in animal rescue. They all go something like this: You guys are angels! You have an amazing heart! I could never do what you do! I wish there were more people like you!

I appreciate it, I do.

But here’s the thing. I am nothing special.

I’m not putting myself down by saying that. I wish people could see that what we have is nothing more or different than anyone else.

Our heart’s aren’t bigger. When we started participating rescue and especially when we took on the rehabilitation of Keely, we had no more resources or knowledge than the next person.

We make the mistakes and lose our temper and patience. We learn the hard way. There is nothing glamorous about us.

But still I hear so often, I could never do what you do.

You know what I think people are really saying? I think what they are actually saying is that whatever it is looks hard. I think they are saying I’m afraid I’ll fail/get too attached/get hurt/be sad.

The answer to that is YES. YOU WILL.

But here is what I’ve learned. We’ve been fed a lie-the lie that tells us that comfort and pleasure are the aims in life. That if we live a life of ease, with the latest vacations and gadgets, we win. Now, I’m no expert but I don’t think that’s what we really want-what our soul really wants.

What we really want, what we keep searching for in the latest stuff, is MEANING.

And you can’t have meaning without a little discomfort, a little sadness, a few hard lessons.

It’s worth it, you guys. It is SOOOO worth it. I cried so many tears during Keely’s rehabilitation. Jason and I got mad at each other. We often felt like failures. But seeing our little girl through that process and coming out the other side-it still counts of one of the things I am proudest of in my life.

I helped save a life. That is an amazing and humbling thing to know about one’s self.

So what am I trying to say?

I am trying to say that you can too. Maybe animal rescue is not your thing. But if I could share anything and have people listen it’s stop assuming that you can’t do something just because you don’t know how to do it NOW. You don’t have to have all the answers to make a difference. YOU DON’T.

The next time you say to yourself, I could never do that, do me a favor and stop for a second. In saying that, is there part of you that’s really saying I’d LIKE to do that?

I bet you that’s what it really is. And I think when you realize and ACKNOWLEDGE that part of you isn’t afraid, that part of you WANTS to take this thing on (whatever the thing is), it becomes a lot easier to move towards.

That’s my experience anyway. And I’m nothing special.

-Brandi