The Process of Personal Transformation: The Final Word - Victory
If You Don't Run, You Can't Win
Conclusion: Final Thoughts on the Principles and Process of Personal Transformation
In this series on Midlife Metamorphosis, we learned that Transformation is a process, but it starts with principles.
Part One The Principles of Personal Transformation laid out three guiding principles for Midlife Metamorphosis:
It’s Possible - But, if you don’t believe you can, you won’t
It’s Simple - But, simple is not always easy
It’s Quick - But, the preparation for overnight success may take decades
Part Two - The Process of Personal Transformation, used the T=E+A+M formula and involves three primary elements: Education, Action, Motivation.
Education to learn about yourself (Passion, Potential, Personality) and then how to incorporate this knowledge in pursuit of opportunity
• First - study yourself: What are you passionate about? What potential (gifts, talents, abilities, strengths) do you possess? What is your personality?
• Second - study what opportunities intersect with who you are and what you want to do.
• Third - study those who are doing or have done what you want to do and learn from them.
• Fourth – find a mentor. Ideally this would be someone you can interact with in person.
Action to move toward your goals:
• Make a plan - simple
• Do the plan - may not be so easy. Do it anyway.
Motivation - The Final Factor in the the Transformation Equation
Just remember - What is simple is not always easy. That is why Motivation is so vital.
How to stay motivated
Study others who have overcome hardship, roadblocks, adversity of all kinds to accomplish extraordinary things
Constantly listen to good motivational speakers
Read books that will spark your dreams and imagination
One final note
Education, Action, and Motivation act in powerful synergy. A well thought out plan incorporating these elements will transform your life beyond your wildest imagination, if you believe it is possible.
As your life is transformed, remember what Jesus said:
What shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul? - Mark 8:36
Look What She Did
Probably the most convincing motivation for transforming your life at any age are the stories of others who have been successful. Reading about these people can help us develop an “if they can do it, so can I” attitude.
Throughout history there have been countless men and women who achieved their greatest accomplishments long after what most consider the prime of life. Artists, inventors, engineers, teachers, and on we could go.
What was it that enabled them to achieve such extraordinary things at their age - things which others cannot do in a lifetime? What moved them to accomplish more in the waning years of their lives than all the years before? What was the one thing that they all seemed to have in common that kept their dream alive when all else crumbled around them?
The Dream
I would like to finish this piece (and this series) with the story of someone whose “deck was stacked against them”, to use a modern euphemism. There was nothing in her life to indicate more than a mundane existence.
Except, that is, she had a dream.
For most of her life, she kept that dream hidden out of fear. But, the time came when she DECIDED that enough was enough. Yes, she may fail in her pursuit, but if she never tried, she wouldn’t just fail - she would be a failure. Huge difference.
“On April 11, 2009, 48 year old Susan Boyle stunned the world!
“The youngest of eight children, her father was a miner in the small town of Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland. The odds seemed against her from the get-go as she experienced learning disabilities due to oxygen deprivation at birth.
“All through her growing up, she experienced trauma from learning difficulties as well as becoming the target of bullies. She became known as ‘Simple Susie’.
“Encouraged by her parents, music became her refuge. She persisted and began performing in school productions by age 12. While she continued to perform and her teachers recognized her vocal talent, her academic performance did not match and she seemed destined to obscurity.
“This may well have been the case, but for a job she secured at the local college where she would occasionally go to the fine arts performances. One of those performances was Les Miserables, in which she heard I Dreamed a Dream for the first time. In her own words, ‘It took my breath away. It was amazing’.
“She latched on to her own dream of becoming a well-known singer. Though she suffered years of rejection, setbacks, and personal tragedies for years, her dream would not die. In 2007, after her mother died, Susan withdrew and refused to sing publicly for nearly 2 years.
“In August 2008, Boyle's voice coach urged her to audition for Britain's Got Talent as a final tribute to her mother. On April 11, 2009, plain looking ‘Simple Susie’ Susan Boyle, at age 48, walked out on the stage before a television audience of over 10 million viewers and became known as the woman who silenced Simon Cowell.
“And what was her performance? I Dreamed a Dream, of course.
Today, there are not many who have not at least heard of Susan Boyle. She has continued to build a successful singing career and has toured all over the world.” - Narrative formed from multiple news and entertainment sources
Challenge: If Susan Boyle can do it, WHY NOT YOU?
Check out her life-changing audition.
Interestingly, even though for many whose lives were transformed late in life, nothing seemed to happen for years. When the actual transformation did take place, it was simple and it did not take long to happen.
The preparation for Personal Transformation was happening “under the surface” or “out of the limelight”. They were being prepared through circumstances and experiences that didn’t draw much attention. They lived in obscurity … UNTIL!
We are not any different.
We have the privilege now to study those who have impacted the world around them after they were considered past their prime.
Let’s learn from them. From their mistakes, their strategies, their triumphs, the lessons they learned, how they overcame obstacles and hardship through an unwavering dream (faith/belief), how they handled failure, and how they used the various circumstances of their lives to create a new path.
NOW IS YOUR TIME
Thank you for subscribing to Life UnCorked where the focus is on successfully navigating the issues of life from a Christian point of view.
While you’re here, check out my creative writing ‘Stack: The Talking Pen, where you’ll find fiction & non-fiction stories, poetry, art, and personal musings that illustrate the struggles, tragedies, and triumphs of life.
