The truth can set you free

40 Days to Personal Revolution starts with the Laws of Transformation. When I completed 40 days (as part of my 200 HR) it gave me the opportunity to do some serious personal reflection that I normally wouldn't have done. You see, I am a serial distractor and when things get hard or boring I start finding fun, new things to do! I love hard work but hard work that means I might be wrong is not generally my cup of tea. I mean, what can I say? This girl likes to be right.

The first Law of Transformation is to Seek The Truth. Essentially, the intention is not to only look at what is bad or what is good but simply what is. If we are not honest with ourselves; raw and unapologetically real, then how do we know where to even start? And if we can't be honest with ourselves how to we intend to be honest with anyone else. Let’s be real, to plus the directions into the GPS you have to know where you are to get where you are going.

Being a mother I know that I have always taught my children when you do something wrong it is best to admit it, make it right and move on; don’t dwell on the mistake but ADMIT there was a mistake and right your wrong. This is harder to do when it is our own self. Baron Baptiste talks about "repentance" and how the highest version is self acceptance. This is HARD stuff and can literally cause some of us (uh hum....perfectionists) to come UNDONE but we must confront the truth to come undone to do the work!

As a parent, specifically a parent of two teens, I want my girls to continue to communicate with me. But communication is a two way street. We both have to listen. This weekend I was having a conversation with my oldest daughter and she wanted something and I wanted to take the opportunity to teach. Rather than listening to her I was trying to be right. I let my agenda get in the way. I added conditions and stopped listening. She is brave….she called me out. If I want to be a better communicator I need to listen MORE than I talk. In order to improve I have to admit that I wasn’t hearing her. THAT was hard. To admit you are wrong and apologize to your children. In order to grow as a parent I have to acknowledge that if I ever want to START being a better communicator. We got through it and she is still alive…..and I heard her!

I picked this law of transformation for a couple of reasons. First, I feel like you can't DO THE WORK if you don't know where the heck you are going to start. So, if we don't acknowledge what IS we cannot make progress. I also picked this because as a DISTRACTOR and a little type A I don't want to be wrong. Admitting what is isn't being WRONG it is being. This is where the real growth begins.

Want to know more?

Baptiste, Baron (2004). 40 Days to Personal Revolution New York, NY