The Principle of Practical Personal Transformation: We Become What We Think About
Part 4 of Kicking The Conformity Can
The title of today’s post was inspired by Earl Nightingale’s famous recording, The Strangest Secret.
Websters defines a Principle “as a general truth; a law comprehending many subordinate truths”.
A Biblical Principle
Did you know that practical personal transformation is a thoroughly Biblical Principle?
The Apostle Paul writes to the Christians in Rome -
Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind . . .” - Romans 12:2
The purpose was to prove (put to the test or discern) the perfect will of God for their lives.
A principle which states clearly that we are transformed in thought and practice by renewing our minds. Now the only question is: HOW ? How do we “renew our minds?”
The original Greek word for “transformed” in Romans 12:2 is metamorphosis and literally means to be transfigured (to have a striking alteration in appearance, character, or circumstances, to become a completely new or different person inside and out).
Think of the catapillar > Butterfly process.
The same term is used to describe what happened to Jesus when He took John, James, and Peter up on the mountain with Him.
Matthew 17:2 says He was “transfigured” before them. The original Greek text says He was literally “metamorphosized” before them.
When I discovered that this was the exact same word used in Romans 12:2, it really got my attention!
Remember, he is writing to people who have already become Christians. So this admonition is primarily referring to practical spiritual transformation – becoming more Christlike as we mature in our Christian life.
You've probably heard the phrase, “change your thoughts and change your life” or something pretty similar. That is the principle we are talking about here.
Don’t Neglect the Spiritual Aspect of Transformation
I know many readers may say, but Cork, I’m not a Christian. I’m not interested in spiritual things, so how does this apply to me?
Let me just say that the principle of practical transformation works in every human because we are all made in the image of God.
It is my belief, however, based on the teachings of Jesus and the writers of scripture, that without the spiritual transforming power of Christ applied to our lives through salvation, none of the other aspects of transformation ultimately make any difference.
Jesus poses this question to his disciples,
“For what is a man advantaged, if he gains the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?” - Luke 9:25
Because humans are made in the image of God and have the capacity to think and reason, spiritual transformation works itself out in our thoughts, emotions, words, and actions. (See Philippians 2:12-13)
Therefore, it can and should be applied to every aspect of our practical lives: the mental (rational), emotional, and physical aspects of one's life can be radically changed through the power of thought!
Not a “Pie in the Sky” Principle
Now I know what you're saying, but stick with me here...
I understand that just sitting around thinking about something isn't going to make it suddenly happen or appear out of thin air.
I am with you on that one.
Following the principle laid out in Romans 12:2 -
We are given something NOT to do (be conformed to this world)
We are given something TO do (be transformed),
We are instructed HOW to do it (by the renewing of our mind).
Simple and practical.
This post talks primarily about points 1 and 2.
Next week we’ll begin looking at the third point - the process for How transformation takes place.
Metamorphosis
The first thing most of us think of when we hear the word metamorphosis is the caterpillar and the butterfly.
There is no similarity between a caterpillar and a butterfly because a complete transformation (metamorphosis) has occurred inside and out – from a caterpillar to a butterfly.
The analogy is very striking.
If you want lasting, permanent change in your life, there must be metamorphosis. The caterpillar is no longer a caterpillar. Not in appearance. Not in physical structure. Not in capability.
We don't even think of a butterfly as a caterpillar with wings. We think of a butterfly as a butterfly! A caterpillar cannot fly and a butterfly cannot crawl. Most caterpillars are ugly, while most butterflies are beautiful.
The most striking thing though is that once a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, the process cannot be reversed. A butterfly cannot be transformed back into a caterpillar.
Obviously, for the caterpillar and butterfly, the process is biological and set in motion by the Creator Himself.
Spiritually speaking, this analogy is perfect.
After a person has been made a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) by the grace of God through the new birth (John 3:3), they cannot be “unborn” any more than a person can be physically unborn!
That is exactly why God uses the analogy of birth (being born again) in the Gospel of John, chapter 3 - to illustrate the permanency of Salvation.
Romans 12:2, however, is talking about something entirely different. We are to be transformed from conforming to the world to knowing and doing (proving) the will of God by renewing our minds.
Wow – just think about that! Humans can initiate mental, emotional, and physical transformation by renewing their thought patterns!
The catalyst for complete transformation is the renewing of the mind.
Simply put -
Mental transformation requires feeding your mind with new information.
Emotional transformation entails developing a completely new thought pattern.
Physical transformation requires a completely new way of thinking about your body, which produces the action to bring it about
Habits - Building Blocks of Metamorphosis
My son and I have been discussing James Clear’s book, Atomic Habits in our Tuesday morning coffee sessions. While the term “metamorphosis” is not used in the book, the principle is implied throughout.
Habits are the brick-and-mortar of the metamorphic process. We must learn to think about how we do things in a new way to change them.
In a real sense, you must create mental pictures of yourself feeling, acting, and looking like the person you were created to be.
This is what Earl Nightingale was referring to in his classic in The Strangest Secret, “We become what we think about”.
It can't get any more basic. To change who you are and what you are, you must change how and what you think about yourself!
Simple but Not Easy
If that is true, then why aren't more people taking advantage of this simple process?
Jeff Olson answers that question in his excellent book on this subject, The Slight Edge -
What is easy to do is also easy not to do.
The main point of the Prinicple of Personal Transformation is to introduce a simple but powerful method that will assist you in bringing about radical change no matter where you are in your life.
But, simple is not always easy. Transformation takes discipline and the formation of new habits.
Top Athletes Do This
Any Athlete will tell you that they win in their minds many times over before they win on the field, the court, or the course.
They visualize every aspect of themselves accomplishing what they aspire to do.
It is said that Tiger Woods plays each hole of a tournament course in his mind multiple times before he even tees off on hole one.
Then he replays each hole as he gets to it.
We have all said or at least heard someone say, “I'm no good at________” - you fill in the blank.
Well, guess what? That is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Whether we think we can or whether we think we can't, we tend to fulfill our thoughts.
Why is this? One word - Conformity.
Humans tend to have a herd mentality. We want to blend in, be accepted, and feel secure.
Someone who defies the norm by standing out or going a different way is often considered an oddball.
We may not use that word. We may use words like Unique, Genius, Brilliant, Virtuoso, etc. But the meaning is clear.
They’re different.
Let’s use math as an example. If someone says, “I’m no good at math” it implies that some people are good at math.
The Math Geniuses.
We say these things as if that’s just the way we are like it’s some sort of biological reality. We don’t take into consideration that our thought patterns may have a lot to do with what we believe we can or can’t do.
But, we humans have the unique capability to reinvent ourselves simply by changing what we think about. And what we think about has everything to do with what we feed our minds.
I would encourage you to read Giorgio Genaus’ August 11, 2022, Forbes Magazine article How Changing Your Thinking Can Change Your Life. He had this to say about the power of our thoughts -
The reality is that most people are completely unaware of the power of their thoughts. They just go through life, reacting to the events that unfold around them, without giving any attention to the role their thoughts play in shaping their experience.
Some readers may need to start at the beginning - maybe you need to experience that Spiritual transformation, without which no man “can see the kingdom of God”.
That transformation is offered as a gift to anyone who will receive it.
As you read and contemplate the ideas presented here, it is my sincere desire that it will initiate an awakening to seek and receive permanent spiritual transformation. And then spur you on to greater things in this life.
Remember the question Jesus asked,
“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mar 8:36)
Physical, emotional, and mental change may lead to a profitable life on Earth, but without true Spiritual transformation, it "profits” no eternal gain!
The Deceitfulness of Conformity
The opposite of courage is not cowardice, it is conformity. - Rollo May
Conform - To comply with or yield to; to live or act according to; as to conform to the fashion or to custom. - Websters Dictionary
Conformity may not be the opposite of cowardice, but it is fueled by cowardice.
Rather than stand out or appear different, we seek to blend in. There is obscurity in numbers. Most of us learn this at an early age.
Have you ever stopped to contemplate why your life has taken the course it has? Many will say that it is “the will of God”, or “that’s just the way things have always been”. But, is that truly the case?
When the going gets tough, we tend to cave to conformity. Taking the path of least resistance hurts a lot less.
We spend a great deal of time convincing ourselves that there’s not much we can do about it.
No Guilt, No Shame
We can have “peace of mind” by blaming circumstances on things that are out of our control.
The question remains, What does it mean to be “conformed to this world”?
The vast majority of us live in houses just like everyone else. We marry, have families, and provide for them through work just like everyone else does.
I think it's important to take a look at the philosophy of life and the attitude behind why we do what we do.
Most people want a risk-free (read pain-free) life and perceive that there is no risk in conformity!
Do what everyone else is doing and keep your head down!
And this principle of conformity is reinforced at every stage of life. From the earliest age, we learn to do things a certain way because that is the way that it has always been done!
Schools teach conformity. We constantly hear “Get a good education, so that you can get a good job and be safe for the rest of your life”.
A quick look at the news will dispel that notion, but we desperately want to be “safe” so we believe it!
Much of the way business and work are set up caters to conformity. Employee hiring practices, seniority systems, union memberships, and even the age of retirement all scream “CONFORMITY”.
Phrases such as, “Don't rock the boat” and “Play it safe” are examples of how conformity is reinforced!
So then, what is it that the “world” does to which God says we should not be conformed?
This question can be answered in different ways depending on the culture, social norms, and political structure one lives in, but a simple answer is -Look at what the majority of people are doing and don't do that.
So, now that we have looked at what conformity and transformation are more objectively and definitively, the next step is to look at the process of transformation.
How do we change our thinking to change the direction of our lives?
Beginning next week, the focus will shift to the actual process of transformation.
The formula/acronym we will follow is: TEAM
Transformation = Education + Action + Motivation
We’ll look at these in the order presented in the formula, but they are by no means linear. They work simultaneously and interactively.
Studying this subject has been a tremendous help to me, personally. I hope you too have enjoyed and will benefit from this series on Transformation.
Until next time, friends …
I am glad to read this. A friend of mine and I have been teaching a class on transformation, and writing it into book form. I would love to sit down and talk sometime.