The Transformative Power of Becoming

Guest Post by Brooke Lehmann

Nature teaches us that becoming is an essential part of life.  From tadpoles to frogs; caterpillars to butterflies; seedlings to blossoms; clouds to rain; and branches to fire. The process of becoming is ubiquitous in life, there is no escaping.  You may be able to delay portions of becoming, but life is always asking us to rise to the challenge.  It is our responsibility to answer the call.

Becoming is not for the faint of heart.  Becoming requires courage and resilience because the initial stages of becoming usually feel like a sort of death.  The ego, false securities and masks you once identified with are being stripped away.  As the gardener prunes away at the rose, so must we to produce new growth and life.

The beautiful thing about becoming is you are never expected to go at it alone.  Along the way, teachers and guides will present themselves.  There is always a Gandalf, Dumbledore, Virgil or Fairy Godmother that righteously and generously provides the help and wisdom needed for the journey.  They will be there to light your path, lift your spirit and encourage you to keep going the long stretch.

Becoming feels like a long, winding path down a labyrinth, wondering if and when it ever ends.  At times you feel like you are further away from the starting point than when you began the journey.    

This is not the case though.

Every turn and stretch is there to teach you a lesson and help you become what you need to be during the next phase of the process.  The prize of the journey has been entrusted to you and is patiently awaiting your arrival, like a locked chamber where you possess the only key.  The key, like a birthright, has also always been in your possession, though you may not realize it.

As you walk the labyrinth, challenges and trials emerge, and you may be faced with a crisis of sorts such as a job loss, divorce, health issue or death of a loved one.  This will cause you to feel like you have entered the dark night of the soul or the blackest cave where no trace of light can be found.  Here is where the magical transformation truly begins to happen.  All that no longer serves you will be burned into a beautiful pile of ashes, ready for the phoenix to rise.

Once you have been tested by the fire and the internal alchemy has taken place, you will begin to recognize the first signs of resurrection.  You are not the same person.  You will feel stronger, lighter, and more confident—still bearing the scars as a testament to what you have endured.  Your life goal and purpose are now illuminatingly clear.  Love fills your heart and enthusiasm carries you to claim your prize which is on the horizon.

The end of the labyrinth has been reached, and it is now time to journey onward with the gained knowledge and newness of you.  The reward along this part of the journey will be the joy of pursuing the thing that gives life to the inner most part of your being. Like a magnificent symphony, there is a beauty and effortless flow that arises when you live out your divine commission. You will also realize the ultimate prize is to give this away in abundant service to others.  That is the way it has always been.

As you fly like the phoenix rising, reaching new heights and territory, you blaze the way for others.  Your story become the impetus for the next hero to sail ship, and the cycle of becoming continues.  Eventually your wings and spirit will tire as you reach your final destination, and you will end with the grand satisfaction of knowing you have become.