On the show, we discussed my own history of depression and post traumatic stress, from a very early age. I shared my own definition of “depression” as being “grief for the loss of a part of ourselves.”  We discussed how this definition opens up the door to dive into the pain deeply, and to honour and acknowledge our grief completely. We discussed how depression is actually a gift from the Universe to tell us that something needs our attention, and that it is ultimately an invitation for us to come back to who we truly are.

I also shared my experience with post traumatic stress, and how it can sometimes trigger depression. But, I explained, the two are quite different. While depression is an expression of grief and loss, trauma is an expression of fear. When we are afraid, it is common to respond in either a passive or aggressive fashion, whereas grief can manifest in quite different ways. I called upon listeners in the audience who believe they are going through depression to examine whether they are feeling grief or fear (or both), because sometimes there is a trauma that needs to be acknowledged and addressed.

At the end of the show, I shared my own personal message about reaching a place within ourselves where we can take a metaview of our lives, and see all of these circumstances and the emotions which arise from them as part of the greater “hero’s story” of our lives.

After the call was over, Marifran wrote to me to tell me that several listeners on the show had written to her responding strongly to the content of the show. Marifran sent me these written responses she received from listeners who suffered with depression at some point in their lives:

“I liked the definition of grieving over loss of self so we can feel the emotion.
You have to find out who the self is that you lost.” – CG

“I resonate to Lynn’s words that depression is there to get your attention.
It does not mean something about you.” – NB

“I was enthralled.”

“I am ecstatic with sheer joy and happy tears.”

“This idea of being given permission to grieve is so powerful.
Like Lynn I believe we are in a chronically undergrieved society.” – JS

“Lynn’s description of her experience is my experience.
I was so excited and grateful to hear what I’ve known expressed so clearly and directly.” – SJ

Needless to say, I was moved by the response.

Because the things discussed on this show proved to be so powerful, and this message is so important, I wanted to share it with you. You can hear the full 1-hour interview on the player below:

If you are receiving this post via email,
and cannot see the player, you many listen to it online at:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/marifran/2010/07/27/the-spiritual-journey-of-depression

Be sure to check out Marifran’s show on August 10, 2010,
when she is interviewing Vrinda Pendred about the journey of OCD.

AND… don’t forget to tune in to my own show,
“Lynn Serafinn’s Garden of the Soul”
Wednesdays at 6PM UK/ 1PM Easternon BlogTalkRadio

http://blogtalkradio.com/Lynn-Serafinn

About Lynn Serafinn

Lynn Serafinn is a an award-winning transformation coach, book promotion coach, radio host and bestselling author of the book The Garden of the Soul: lessons from four flowers that unearth the Self. She also works as a campaign manager for mind-body-spirit authors and has produced two #1-selling book campaigns, and another #2-selling campaign, in just the past few months. She is also the creator of Spirit Authors, which offers training, coaching, business-building and inspiration for mind-body-spirit authors, whether established or aspiring. To contact Lynn for coaching, campaign management or media appearances, please fill in the form at http://spiritauthors.com/contact.

Sample Vison Board from Blastation

This week I took this cutting edge new sofware programme (developed by Allison Maslan) for a spin. After reading this review (I give you screen shots of the programme and describe the features pretty fully), take Blastation for a test drive yourself on a FREE 30-day trial http://ow.ly/KMx.

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About a year ago, I attended a course with Patrick Ryan called “Awakened Wisdom”. On that course, I set many goals for myself to achieve over the next 2 years and beyond. Now, I know that I am absolutely USELESS when it comes to keeping paper documents, so I wanted to make some sort of computer-based tracking system for myself to create my 2-year targets and then break them down into smaller chunks (monthly, weekly, daily). I used an Excel spreadsheet and put all kinds of pretty colours on it. I used a different colour for each time frame: one for “Life Dream” and one for the year, month, week and day. I called it my “15-minute focus” because I didn’t want to spend gobs of time on it every day, or I wouldn’t get any work done. Instead, I wanted to use it as a way to focus my vision on the bigger picture every day, and keep my perspective on how my daily activities were working towards that goal. Here’s a screen shot of what it looked like almost exactly 1 year ago (hahah… notice that my “Life Dream” last Christmas was that my book The Garden of the Soul sold 30 million copies… I’m still working on that one!):

Well, I have to say, it did work pretty well and kept me on target for a while. If I look back at it now, most of the things I had set out to do were all pretty much achieved, and most of those things that weren’t achieved were replaced with stuff that was even better. I found this method so useful that I even shared it with several of my coaching clients, who liked it very much.

But after a couple of months, it started to get a bit of clumsy and I tended not to use it as much as I did when I first made it. There were too many words, too much scrolling up and down, no real way to “see” visually what I had achieved. I found it took me a lot longer than 15 minutes a day, because of the way it was laid out, and it didn’t really replace my need to use a daily diary quite separately from this (which I developed on yet another spreadsheet). Sometimes I found myself forgetting where I had written things down because I needed so many different places to write them!

But lo’ and behold, only a few months ago, a woman named Allison Maslan came into my life, asking me to coach her around creating a marketing campaign for her upcoming book Blast Off!. Well, of course I was really pleased to meet such a wonderful new client, and get to work on such a fun book campaign, but the bonus surprise for me was when she showed me Blastation – an online software programme she had designed for exactly the same purpose as my 15-Minute Focus spreadsheet…

But seeing them side-by-side was like comparing an old 78 rpm gramophone to a digital surround-sound system. Blastation was everything I had wanted my spreadsheet to be, but it did it all faster, prettier and more visually. It overcame every single one of the drawbacks of my home-made goals-setting spreadsheet had. Heck, it even used a similar colour scheme as I had chosen for my 15-Minute Focus, only a lot bolder and more eye-catching. I had to laugh when I saw that. It was just too perfect.

Blastation gives you 6 major areas of life in which to set goals: career, relationships, wealth, spiritual life, health and personal fulfilment (which includes FUN!).

For each of these areas, you set your “Big Picture Vision”, your “mile steps” and then your “mini-feats.” That’s very similar to the way I had my system laid out, only more streamlined. Then, it also gives you a “sunup script” which sort of reminds me of the “morning pages” Julia Cameron uses in The Artist’s Way (which I use with a lot of my clients). It also has “rocket words” which are basically your self-pep talk (or affirmations) for the day. It allows you to upload pictures, so it’s not all words, words, words.

AND do you know what? It even has a calendar that you can integrate with Outlook. I couldn’t believe it when I saw this.

But the thing I really, really liked was the “Life-o-Meter”. It’s like a petrol gauge that shows you how much you are living up to your goals. Every time you achieve a goal on time it sends you up the gauge towards 100%. Pretty cool, yes?

It also comes with excellent tutorials and guidance on how to use it effectively. Frankly, I’m going to recommend Blastation to my clients because it really is a great way to set goals, and stay motivated as you move towards them. And for coaches, it’s a great way for you to monitor your clients’ progress.

I rarely (if ever) talk about online coaching products, but this particular one just felt so fun and so USEFUL, I really wanted to review it and let people take it for a spin. Allison offers a 30-day free trial of the software, so you can see for yourself whether you think it could help you move closer to your life dreams.

And I do think a few months’ subscription would also make a really unique Christmas gift. Check out Blastation HERE.

My rating?  5-stars for:

• usefulness
• easy-of-use
• aesthetic appearance
• originality
• and FUN!

Like this article? Share it with others!

Apart from being the one day of the year where parents surrender all attempts to keep their children on a healthy diet, Halloween is also the day where we, both children and adults, get to dress up and make believe we are someone or something else for a day. What we choose could be our alter ego, our wildest fantasy or our scariest nightmare. I believe we can often learn a lot about ourselves by looking back at what we wanted to be on Halloween when we were children.

What do our Halloween costumes reveal?

I remember the very first Halloween outfit that I selected for myself when I was about 4 years old. My mother took me to the shop to look at costumes. She suggested a very pretty “Fairy Princess” costume, which was a long pastel pink and white dress with lace and ruffles, accessorised with a sparkly crown. While I liked the sparkly crown, the frilliness and the colour of the dress didn’t appeal to me. Instead, I opted for the “Gypsy Princess” costume. The colours were vivid—strips of emerald green, rich magenta, bright gold and deep purple fabric layered atop a flowing black taffeta skirt. The top was a white peasant blouse and instead of a crown, it had a brightly printed headscarf and big dangly “jewellery”. It was not at all “frilly”, and seemed exotic to me. I loved to dance and spin around and around in it, watching the skirt fly in billowy circles around me.

So, fifty years on, what can I understand about myself when I look back at this? I can see that even from a very early age I was showing my natural inclination towards the arty and bohemian side of life. And years later, I indeed would become a musician and a writer, with a tendency to move from place to place every few years (my father always called me a gypsy). While I do consider myself to be extremely feminine, I was never what you would call a “girlie girl”, and to this day I simply cannot wear pastels!

What were some of the Halloween (or other fancy dress) costumes you chose for yourself when you were a child? Don’t worry if they were scary ghosts or monsters. Maybe these characters were helping you express your natural sense of humour and fun, or maybe they were expressions of your inner courage in the face of fear. Maybe your costume expressed a hidden side of you that was not able to express itself any other way. Or maybe, your mom or dad picked out your costume for you and it didn’t express you at all! Even if that was the case, it can tell us a lot about the history of our self-expression.

What can our childhood make-believe tells us about ourselves?

Halloween is not the only time we make believe as children, of course. How many of us had favourite characters we pretended to be when we played either alone or with others? In my book The Garden of the Soul, I share one of my make-believe characters—a talking parrot named Polly who was the navigator of a space ship, taking human beings on journeys through the Milky Way. In other games, we would sometimes play “school” and I would be the teacher. Other times, we played “church” and I would be the priest. So what else can I learn about my natural personality from my childhood make-believe? Looking back, I can see that I was expressing my natural eccentricity (I was a parrot and not a human being!) and my love for exploration. I could see I was becoming the navigator—the one who would lead others to new things. I was revealing my inclination towards being an explorer, a traveller, a teacher and even a spiritual guide. There is so much we can learn about ourselves when we look back at how we played as children.

Take a moment to think back to your own childhood. What “make-believe” characters and personalities did you naturally step into? To what degree were they expressions of who you really were inside, or who you wished (or knew) you would become? What did these characters say about you at your core? What values or qualities did these characters reveal about you? Were you a super hero fighting for justice? A spy who loved risk and intrigue? A time traveller fascinated by the past or the future? A space traveller curious about what makes the Universe tick? A pirate seeking adventure or treasure? A mommy or daddy expressing family values and love?

The roles we play as adults

As children, making believe is an important tool to help us discover, explore and express who we are. But unfortunately, when many of us grow up, we continue to take on “costumes” and “masks” in our in our family, social group or work environment that, rather than express who we are, limit our authentic expression and natural personality. We take on “roles” where we “play” a certain part in our daily dramas. Examples of roles might be “the good girl”, “the wounded one”, “the sensible one” or “the peace maker”. And there are so many more besides these. Just like putting on a Halloween costume or making believe, when we step into these roles, we “become” them, and often find ourselves restricted and frustrated as a result. For instance, if you have taken on the role of the “peace maker” in your family or your workplace, you might find yourself without a voice, as you are continually trying to balance the imbalances of others around you. The irony is that you yourself might never feel peaceful, and your efforts might actually create more unrest and lack of connection in your environment. If you take on the role of “the wounded one”, you might find it difficult to become independent because you might come to believe that you need the continual support of other people or things in order to feel safe. The irony of course is that this neediness can in fact end up pushing away the very support you believe you need, only reinforcing your feelings of being “wounded”.

When we put on a Halloween costume or making believe, we know we are “playing”. But unfortunately, many of us are unaware of the roles we play as adults. We intuitively sense that something is not quite right but we cannot put our finger on it. Our roles can be difficult to recognise if we have been stuck in them since childhood and we don’t know any differently. One of the first things I help clients see when they come to me for coaching are these unconscious roles or scripts they might be playing our in their heads, that are making their lives unfulfilling in one way or another. Somewhat playfully, I call these roles and scripts “monsters”, and I teach clients how to recognise and shift the monsters both in one-to-one coaching and in my course “Making Friends with the Monsters Under Your Bed”. The good news is that over time, it is possible to become conscious of the unconscious roles we play; and as we bring them into our awareness, we can move away from feeling trapped by them, and towards being able to choose whether or not we wish to continue wearing these “costumes” if we feel they are not serving our greater good.

Taking off the masks

People sometimes ask what I mean by the term “personal transformation”. Basically it simply means bringing what was once in the darkness (unconscious and unaware) into the light (conscious and aware). When we bring our shadow into the light of awareness, we step into the person we really are, and cease playing roles that do not reflect the light of our inner Self.

While personal transformation is essential for our Self actualisation and ultimate happiness, it does come with a caveat. It is important to understand that if our role is something we tend to “default” to in our family, social or work situations, chances are many other members in that scenario are also playing their own roles, without awareness of the fact they are doing so. And if you suddenly become aware and step out of your “assigned” role, it can really rock the boat! Imagine that everyone in your life is on stage in a play. You have a part to play and you have played it for years. Then suddenly, you start reading the lines of the hero, when you are “supposed” to be playing the villain, or the servant or the milkman. Of course, the whole cast would become confused wondering who they are supposed to “play” now. All hell would break loose on stage!

When you decide to take off your mask in life, a similar scenario might take place if the people around you are not at a similar level of conscious evolution as you are. In other words, your shifting away from your previously unconscious, disempowering roles can frequently confuse and even anger your family, friends and work colleagues. With time, most will adjust, but occasionally people cannot or will not adjust to the new “you” (which is actually the “true you”) and you might actually “lose” people along the way, or at the very least be the recipient of their judgments and criticism. While this is a necessary risk we must take in the name of finding fulfilment, the thought of the ramifications of that risk can sometimes be really scary. For many of us, lack of awareness coupled by the fear of losing money, job, friends or family are the primary reasons why we stay stuck playing the roles we privately hate the most.

Transformation takes self-awareness, courage and self-honesty. But even more, it takes self-love and commitment to your own wellbeing. In order to step out of the costumes that do not reflect who you really are, you must be willing to remain steadfast in your commitment to your own happiness during the process of transition, even if it means risking a period of unsettledness in your relationships or lifestyle. This risk is essential before you can step into your true “costume”—where you are the hero of your own life.

Stepping into your superhero costume

Those of you who follow my work know that it is my firm belief that every human being is born the “hero” of his/her own life. And it is my belief that when you finally step into your Authentic Self, whatever that might be, you become a genuine superhero, and that this “costume” is the only one that is meant for you.

How do you know you have finally stepped into your superhero costume? It has nothing to do with saving the world or leaping over tall buildings. When you feel inwardly empowered, natural and free, you are the superhero. When you genuinely feel seen and heard, you are the superhero. When you feel connected to Self, other and the Universe, you are the superhero. When you are smiling and having FUN, you are the superhero.

In short, when you know you are being YOU, you are the superhero. And as you know, a real superhero is capable of great things.

Every day, I express my gratitude for being able to live a life that is in alignment with the person I know I was born to be. I have finally thrown away the countless costumes of the past that did not serve me, and I now wear one costume—the ME costume! And you know what? The “ME” costume still contains elements of that bold, colourful, dancing Gypsy Princess and the Polly the Space Navigator Parrot. In all I do, I express that same freedom and creativity that I knew was my Authentic Self when I was a child. But of course the “ME costume is so much greater than that. And make no mistake—your “YOU” costume is truly a coat of unlimited colours.

So this Halloween, as you don your holiday costume, or next week when you return to work, and step into your default role at your job, ask yourself how well these costumes express your innermost being. And if the answer is “Not very well”, perhaps it is time to explore a different fancy dress shop, and try on some new costumes for a change. But if the answer is “Yes, completely!” you just might be living the life of a superhero.

May you step into your YOU costume, and your every day be Halloween, filled with treats.

Lynn Serafinn
31 Oct 2009

P.S.: The title of this article is taken from one of my FAVOURITE songs by Ministry, which really reflects the whole idea of what we see/show of ourselves to others. Hear the track on my Blip.FM page at: http://blip.fm/~fo6cr Have fun!

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Lynn Serafinn, MAED, CPCC is a transformation coach, speaker, radio host and author of the bestselling book The Garden of the Soul: lessons from four flowers that unearth the Self.

Lynn coaches clients from all over the world via telephone. If you would like to discover and unleash your inner hero, call Lynn for a FR*EE  no obligation coaching consultation at 0845 880 28 25 during normal business hours, or fill in a consultation request form at http://www.create-a-life.co.uk/free_consultation_request.html

But all too often, “some day” and the “big break” don’t come. This isn’t because we are unlucky or have “bad karma.” It’s because we are looking in the wrong direction to find the solutions to our lack of fulfilment. After going through my own transformations in life, teaching thousands of students over the years, working with hundreds of coaching clients and interviewing dozens of fascinating people on my radio show, I have learned one thing: the circumstances of our lives cannot be blamed (or at least not 100%) for our unhappiness. What are some of the worst circumstances you can imagine? Try to imagine being a 6-year-old boy and being exiled with no possessions and left to starve to death in the Siberian wasteland. Or how about being a teenage girl whose father murders her own mother in cold blood, marries her mother’s sister, and is then acquitted by the court? Can you imagine living with such things? Can you imagine surviving them to such a point where you felt so full of joy that you have made it your life’s work to spread joy to others? But it’s true. I have met these people,* and so many others, in my work. And happiness, I have found, is 100% a matter of allowing it to happen. But if we are blocking the pipeline to our own happiness, it will never flow.

There are many ways we block this pipeline to happiness. One is the unconscious way we talk about ourselves. Most of us pay little attention to the subtle ways we verbally undermine ourselves, whether in our heads or aloud, on an almost continual basis. Another way we get in our own way are all the “old stories” we tell about ourselves, such as “That’s just the way I am” or “I’m really bad with x, y, z.” A third way we block our own happiness is the almost autonomic way we tend to slip into “roles” in different circumstances. We might unthinkingly adopt a powerless, voiceless or even aggressive role in certain family, social or professional scenarios, for example. Both we and others begin to mistake these roles for ourselves, and we end up feeling drained and misunderstood. The end result of all these “monsters” is that we become disconnected to both our real emotions and from our bodily awareness. We can even become weakened or ill on a physical level and we certainly become desensitized to the “hero’s call” that is always around us. When we reach this level of disconnection, we can become resigned to our “lot” life, and lose faith that we can ever truly be happy.

But as I said, I passionately believe that every human being is a hero, and all of these things are part of the hero’s journey—even the struggle to come back to the Self. Every hero is a hero because he or she has faced the “monster” no one else had the courage to face. All the old stories, all the roles, all the self-talk, all the feelings of fear, anger, blame and loss—these are the monsters. And when we face them and come out the other side with the wisdom that only a true hero knows, we find the elixir that makes our lives, and the lives of those around us, truly magical.

This month at the Bedford and West Herts Wellness Circle I will be doing a mini-workshop about the hero’s journey, so you can get a tiny glimpse into where you are on the path. And if you’d like to step fully into that journey, be sure to sign up for the “Transformation Trilogy” that is starting THIS Saturday and Sunday (17/18 Oct) in Bedford. The Trilogy is a set of three weekend workshops spread over three months. You do NOT have to attend all three weekends, as they are completely separate courses, but you see the progression from course to course if you do. This weekend, we’ll be “Making Friends with the Monsters Under Your Bed” where we will be looking at all the things I have spoken about in this article, so that you will be REALLY ready to step into your inner hero in Workshop 2, “Becoming the Hero of Your Own Life”, in November.

NOTE:  We urgently need 5 more people to sign up for this weekend’s “Monsters” to give the course “buzz”. PLEASE book with me via telephone no later than 8pm Wednesday 14 May. Click HERE to read all information AND to book your place.

* The 6-year-old boy is author Andrew Bienkowski, and the teenage girl is actress Brenda Adelman, both extraordinary people I interviewed on my radio show. Click links above to listen to those great past shows.

Meditation 65: Wisdom
from “Lessons from the Lily: the Principle of Being”

Wisdom is the natural energy that flows through us when we surrender our ego so we may establish our connection with the Divine. Wisdom does not come to us as the result of learning. It is not something can be increased by any type of effort. Wisdom is Eternal, Infinite and Absolute. It belongs to no one and to everyone, simultaneously and equally. When we imagine that we can capture Wisdom via our own efforts, we are operating from the platform of ego, wherein we imagine that there is a limited amount of Wisdom to be gained in the Universe, and that it can be controlled and conquered by our own efforts. If this were the case, then the Universe would be a merciless and poverty-stricken place, as only the strongest or most intellectually gifted would ever have access to Wisdom. But the Truth is the Universe is infinitely opulent and full of mercy. Wisdom is the birthright of all living entities, and no effort is required to manifest Wisdom other than to allow it to enter us, without ego blocking its way.

In The Garden of the Soul, the Lily is the bearer of Wisdom. She stands alone, allowing the light of the full Moon to bathe her with its illuminating rays, Without effort, she absorbs whatever Wisdom is shone upon her, and then creates a mesmerising diamond-like mandala of light and reflection around her so that others may be able to see and delight in what she knows intuitively. She does not block the rays via any kind of shade or cover. She allows all of them to shine upon her equally, without judgment or preference. Like this, when we allow ourselves simply to receive the illumination of Divine Wisdom, we shine like a lustrous diamond amidst the darkness of the rest of the world, and help others to see themselves within the light of that Divinity. Without the interference of our own self-judgments or the judgements of others, we allow all Wisdom to enter us and be seen by our Hearts and Souls. Thus, Wisdom is an attribute of the Principle of Being, for it is the force that allows us to know who we truly are. When we surrender all false attachments to who we think we might be, or who we think we should be, and simply allow our True Self to sing, we begin our eternal dance with Divine Wisdom.

Enquiries to cultivate this attribute

1. How do I resist my own Wisdom?

2. What are the messages I hear but do not trust?

3. What will change for me when I learn to dance with Divine Wisdom?

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If you would like to find out how to master the four Principles of “Give, Receive, Become and Be” from my book The Garden of the Soul, as well as many other skills for personal transformation, join me and my colleague Vicki Goodyear on the Transformation Trilogy Weekend Workshop Series. Two new UK series starting 17 October (Bedford), and 7 November (Totnes, Devon). Click HERE for complete information and to book your place.

AND… if you think money is an issue, be sure you read about our innovative “Gratitude System” that, we hope, will enable everyone to attend.

See you there!

Warm wishes,
Lynn Serafinn
“Turning up the volume of the music in your heart!”

There is no denying that we live at a time in history when much of the world around us is changing. The currently fluctuating economy is proving to be challenging for many, causing us to change our spending and saving patterns. Climate change and the need to move away from fossil fuel dependency are becoming more and more apparent, making it necessary to make rapid decisions about how to address the issues, and to reflect upon how we need to change as a society. Technology is also rapidly changing the way we interact, and we frequently find ourselves on the one hand more able to communicate at a virtual level, but also feeling more and more isolated from one another in the flesh. Over the past few decades, we have become increasingly disconnected from the sources of our own sustenance (such as food production) and more and more dependent upon our own technological creations for survival. To see how dependent we actually are, imagine how vulnerable you would feel if tomorrow morning you woke up to find you had no internet or other telecommunications systems, had no access to electricity, oil or petrol, or you were unable to obtain food, clothes, medicine and other necessities from outside sources.

And here is the paradox: that feeling of vulnerability is one of the things that make us tolerate all these sociological changes, even if we intuitively know these changes are ultimately making us feel more and disconnected, and ultimately more vulnerable.

Amidst the storm of these external changes, there are many internal whirlwinds as well. We frequently find ourselves inundated by media messages that paint a negative portrait about our world and our future, driving our anxieties even more deeply into our minds, bodies and emotions. Media advertisements also frequently deliver us pictures of idealised forms of beauty, happiness or success which are unattainable and unnatural, causing many people to feel small and inadequate. The modern communication systems of our “information age” are sending us data at an alarming rate (just watch the flurry of constant status updates on the online social networks and you’ll know what I mean), and we find it sometimes difficult to prioritise our time and activities. And finally, our traditional gender roles and models of familial relationships are also in a state of flux, leaving many people confused as to who they are in their relationships, what they want from them, and why they want it.

Clearly, we are in a state of global change, both inside and out.

The good news is this: our minds and bodies are designed to respond to change. Our “evolution” is occurring at every moment in the form of us learning how to adapt, whether consciously or not, to new information and environmental circumstances. Just as a healthy body will develop immunities to illnesses by developing anti-bodies, our minds, hearts and societies also respond to change by developing “antibodies” in the form of new neural pathways in the brain, new emotional responses and new social structures.

But there is a catch. When change is continually coming at us from every angle, and our minds, hearts, bodies and culture are being asked to respond to too much, too quickly, the result is that we can go into overload, both individually and as a culture. Just as your PC will crash when you try to process too many applications at one time, the human brain can also go into “meltdown” when faced with too much new information, uncertainty or change coming at it all at once. That meltdown can manifest in the form of stress and feelings of overwhelm. Over time it can adversely affect both our emotional and physical wellbeing. It is small wonder that stress and stress-related illnesses and conditions are on the rise. When intense, widespread change is occurring at a societal (or indeed a global) level, society itself can also experience meltdown. What does a social meltdown look like? It looks exactly like what we are seeing in the world today— instability, anxiety and confusion at an environmental, economic and cultural level.

In short, we as a culture are going through an “identity crisis”.

But that’s not really “bad news”. I frequently joke that I am a big fan of “mid-life crises” because I know that every one I have had (there have been about 3 at last count) has brought me to a better place, and a deeper understanding of both myself and the world. To me, it feels as though our technological culture is going through a mid-life crisis (or maybe it’s only an adolescent reaction!) because, in spite of our societal identity crisis—or perhaps more likely because of it—we are currently seeing more and more people moving away from old ways of thinking, and shifting towards a more holistic and spiritual approach to life, embracing the values of personal growth and self-awareness. Curiosity about the mind-body-spirit connection is more alive than ever, and is no longer just in the domain of non-mainstream or “alternative” culture. Scientists, businesses and people in all walks of professional life are turning towards a new way of thinking. Some call it new thought, new science, positive thinking, conscious evolution, alternative lifestyle, quantum brain, holistic wellbeing, and so many other descriptors. Many people talk about the “Shift”, “Ascension 2012”, the “Great Turning” and many other terms to describe the underlying transformation we intuitively sense happening, both as individuals and as a society. Somehow we know we are on the threshold of moving from one paradigm of thinking and living to another. But although there are many theories, prophecies and beliefs, it is clear that none of us can say with absolute certainty what that new paradigm will look like.

Clearly, both we and the world at large at the dawn of the 21^st century are “in transition”.

Transition brings change, and change brings regeneration—a chance for new beginnings. And while the prospect of change can be exciting, and even thrilling, stepping into the process of change can also be daunting for many, if not most, people. Change brings uncertainty, and many of us prefer to stick with the familiar rather than be asked to face our fears of the unknown, even if that unknown territory has the possibility of bringing us greater joy. It is this “better the hell you know than the one you don’t” anxiety that can keep many of us stuck in one place. But it is my personal belief that learning how to deal with change, and stepping into our own “inner transition” is quite possibly the most important—and socially responsible—thing we can do not only for ourselves and our families, but also for the rest of the world.

That may sound like a big statement to make, but I’d like you to try it on for size. Let’s do a little visualisation.

Imagine you are about to step into an unknown journey called the “inner transition”. To do this, you are being asked to step into a transporter similar to the one you have seen on TV/films aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise. As you step into the transporter, what do you feel? You probably feel a bit of apprehension about the fact that every molecule in your body is going to be taken apart, shaken up, and spat out somewhere into the Universe. And what is going to happen at the other end? Or will you even make it to the other side? Scary? Of course it is. But if you have ever watched Star Trek or other sci-fi classics, you know that their allure lies in the heart-pumping thrill of moving from the fear of the unknown, to going “boldly where no man has gone before.” Even if the thought of being disintegrated and then reintegrated at an unknown destination is terrifying, it’s also actually exciting.

Now imagine that you are stepping into that transporter, allowing yourself to feel whatever fear you might have, knowing that this particular transporter is not simply going to drop you onto another planet and let you deal with whatever monsters you might find there, but that it will transform you into a wise, reflective, fulfilled human being who is able to see yourself with clarity and to feel deeply connected to the rest of the Universe. What would that be like? Yes, you might still be afraid, but wouldn’t that be a thrilling and beautiful journey to make? And what if at the other end of that journey, you found you were not only able to face your fears and stand powerfully amidst the changes of your current and future life, but you were also able to discover your life’s calling, know the impact you have in the world, and claim a lasting legacy that says “I was here”? What would that be like?

This is the journey of Personal Transformation. And our “inner transition” is the transporter on that takes us on that journey.

In my more than half a century on the planet, I have gone through so many transitions and personal transformations that I truly understand their importance and embrace their presence in my life. In my work as a coach and workshop leader I meet so many people ready to make the journey, but who are understandably fearful and confused as to how to go about it. Because I know that too much information can cause information meltdown, I like to make the idea of transformation less daunting by breaking the process down into three stages:

1. Weeding
2. Seeding
3. Feeding

Basically, the “weeding” stage is where we examine and shift the old ways of thinking and behaving that no longer serve us and limit our joy. These might include self-sabotaging beliefs or habits, unconscious stories and rules we have made up about how we are supposed to live and behave, and fears and other emotions that have not been fully voiced. Once these are understood and shifted, it makes room for the next stage of our transformation, the “seeding” stage.

“Seeding” means to discover all the things that will allow the transformation to take place, such as our core values, our life purpose, and our greater impact on the world. It is also the stage where we take on the responsibility and glory of becoming the hero of our own life, in service of our life purpose.

The final stage is “Feeding”, where we master a range of strategies to keep us on the path of our life purpose, even when life throws us a wall of change and upheaval. This is what those of us in the Transition Town movement* call “resilience”. Understanding ourselves and knowing our purpose are essential, but mastery of our inner resilience is what will help us to regain our balance when we feel knocked out of orbit.

Taken together, the three stages of “weed, seed and feed” allow us to move from feeling stuck, overwhelmed and powerless, to feeling valuable, passionate and capable of facing whatever comes our way. Ask yourself now, where are you on your Transformation journey? What stage are you currently working through? Or perhaps, you are at different stages in different areas of your life. It is important that you reflect upon this, so you can understand where you are in the process of change, and how you are currently dealing with it.

It is my personal opinion that it is vital to the future of our planet that each of us embarks on this journey of Transformation in our lifetime, especially in these “transitional” times. The coming decade is going to require that we not only survive tremendous change, but that we actually create the change. You might be thinking, How can my life be vital to the future of the planet? I’m just one tiny cog in the big machine.

To that I would reply, “You are part of the Universe. You are not outside looking in, or inside looking out. You are connected both systemically and spiritually to the World and all who share it with you. Everything you do has an impact on the rest of the World, even if you do not see it clearly right now.”

Your life has a purpose. Your actions have an impact. Your life is essential to the rest of the world, just as the world is essential to your life. You have the power not only to withstand tremendous change, but also to use that change to create powerful solutions in the world around you. And what is wonderful, is that the more you master your own resilience, and learn how enjoy riding the waves of change, the more capable you are of holding the fears and resistance of others around you, and help them step into the transporter to take the journey of their own personal transformation.

And that’s when the REAL shift in the world happens. And that is also why taking ownership of your own inner transition is so important for the rest of the world at this time in history. And even if you do not fully believe this now, try to take it on faith as you begin your journey of transformation. Just as you stepped into the transporter, not knowing where you would end up, trust that the unrest that both you and the rest of the world may be feeling right now is actually a call to action—a call to step into your own inner transition, and to come out the other side transformed into a more wonderful state of being.

Lynn Serafinn, MAED, CPCC
Transformation Coach and Author

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I would like to invite you to join me on 17 October on a journey of transformation…

I have made it my own life purpose to guide others through their own personal transformation, so as to help our planet make the great transition we are now facing at a global level. To do that, I have designed a very special workshop series called the “Transformation Trilogy”. Transformation takes time to process, so I have spread this series of 3 weekend workshops across 3 months:

• Series 1: Bedford, Bedfordshire on 17/18 Oct, 14/15 Nov and 12/13 Dec
• Series 2: Totnes, Devon on 7/8 Nov, 5/6 Dec and 9/10 Jan

The purpose of the Transformation Trilogy is to take you through the 3 stages of transformation at a personal level AND to empower you to help others proceed through their own inner transition. This is especially valuable if you are a member of a Transition Town work group, a social worker/reformer, teacher, coach, healer, manager or anyone who works with people and wishes to guide them to a higher state of understanding.

Bookings are being taken NOW. To eliminate all anxiety around money, I have devised a very special “Gratitude System” for payment, so as to enable everyone to attend who wishes to. To find out more about this very unique series that addresses the Inner Transition of self and society, and to book your place for a nominal registration fee of only £45, go to www.lynnserafinn.com/transformation-trilogy-2009.html

Let’s transform the world together!

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* The Transition Town movement is a network of community initiatives that are addressing the issues of climate change and peak oil at a holistic level. The “inner transition”, including our connection to the Earth and each other, and the way we deal with change, is one of their primary focuses, as they embrace the understanding that no external changes can have a lasting effect within inner change underpinning them. For information about Transition Bedford, visit www.transitionbedford.org. For information about the greater Transition Network, and to find out if there is an initiative in your area, visit www.transitionnetwork.org

Continuity is a sense of begininglessness and endlessness that comes from feeling connected to Existence itself. In the Divine sense, Continuity does not refer to the act of “sticking with things” for a long period of time. In fact, Continuity has nothing at all to do with “doing”; it is an attribute of Being. Nor does Continuity refer to a need for things to be changeless. Quite the opposite, Continuity is that state we reach where we are able to witness all of Creation as a great system of continual flow and change without beginning or end. Existence is both always the same, and always changing, simultaneously. When we witness this, and feel this at our core, we come to realise that Reality is comprised of a single experience of Divine Continuity, which has infinite possibilities of expression. These possibilities flow like the colours of a kaleidoscope as we turn the wheel around and around. As these patterns are ever-changing, we cannot say there is ever truly a specific pattern, as there is no way to “freeze” them in time. When we release the need to hold on to a particular pattern, we begin to step into the awestruck feeling of Divine Continuity, and come to enjoy every moment as it unfolds before us.

It is often said that unhappiness comes in life when we form attachments to these patterns. We see a flash of a particular pattern in life, and we want to hold onto it. We might be very fond of a person, place, activity, thing or idea. Or, we might equally dislike one of these things. Each of these things is a but a momentary flash in the unlimited possibilities within the Divine Continuity, but in our minds we form a “pattern” of what it is, that actually tries to limit it and resist its natural evolution. When someone ages, becomes ill or dies, we think they have changed. But in reality, their pattern was always in a state of change, and it was only our attachment to it that created the illusion that the pattern was permanent. In Sanskrit, this illusion is called maya, which means “to measure”. When we measure things, we limit them, and we view them as separate from both ourselves and from Divine Continuity. So, while our sorrow and feelings of loss can be said to be caused by our attachment to the pattern, the key affliction is that we have a sense of disconnection from the Divine. When that connection is re-established, unhappiness is not possible, as we are able to relish the continual dance of Divine Change within the Changeless, and take delight in all things that come our way—even the seemingly painful.

In The Garden of the Soul the Lily is the embodiment and the mentor of the attribute of Continuity. She shines like the point of a diamond in the centre of the Garden, radiating and reflecting a kaleidoscope of continual change that contains all possibilities. Continuity is the ultimate attribute of Divine Source, as it is that from which Creation, Sustenance and Evolution all occur simultaneously and eternally. Beginnings and endings are both nowhere and everywhere. When we release the need to hold on to anything, and begin to delight in all there is and whatever comes to us, we have stepped into our own Divine Continuity.

Enquiries to cultivate this attribute
1. What to I hold on to that causes me pain?
2. What do I see when I simply allow the kaleidoscope of change to happen?
3. Who am I when I feel fully connected to Divine Continuity?
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I hope you liked this week’s Garden of the Soul Weekly Meditation. Read below to find you how you can help me write my next book, have your name mentioned on the radio, and have a chance to be mentioned in the book, under my acknowledgements.

ABOUT THIS COLLABORATIVE BOOK PROJECT
I am writing a “Companion Guide to the Garden of the Soul: 80 Daily/Weekly Practices to Allow Your Spirit to Blossom”. The book has 80 Daily (or Weekly) meditations to help to cultivate the spiritual attributes of the four flowers in the book. All 80 attributes are already “assigned” a number, but the entries for them have not necessarily been written yet.

YOU CAN HELP ME WRITE MY BOOK!
1. Every Wednesday through Sunday, just send me a number from 1 – 80 that you pick intuitively.
2. I will put all the numbers into a “hat” and chose one at random.
3. I will publish the correlating “meditation” for that number on the following Friday.
4. AND… if you number is selected, I will also read your name and your intuitively chosen meditation ON THE AIR on my weekly broadcast of “Lynn Serafinn’s Garden of the Soul” at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Lynn-Serafinn. Now that our show is 1 hour long, I have plenty of time for this. It’s just so much fun.
5. AND…I will also mention every person whose number was selected in the “acknowledgements” section of my book when it is published!

HOW DO YOU SEND ME YOUR NUMBER?
You can SEND me your number by:
• Sending me a message on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/LynnSerafinn OR
• Posting it on the wall of my Fan Page at http://tinyurl.com/gots-fan OR
• Via Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/LynnSerafinn OR
• Through my Ning group at http://gardenofthesoul.ning.com OR
• A comment on my blog at http://lynnserafinn.com OR

HOW DO YOU RECEIVE YOUR WEEKLY MEDITATION?
You can RECEIVE your weekly mediation by:
• Subscribing to my blog at http://www.lynnserafinn.com OR
• Joining my Facebook group at http://tinyurl.com/fb-gots OR
• Joining my Facebook FAN page at: http://tinyurl.com/gots-fan OR
• Joining my Ning group at http://gardenofthesoul.ning.com OR
• Tuning in/downloading my weekly show at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Lynn-Serafinn

SO FAR THE WEEKLY MEDITATIONS HAVE BEEN:
1. Day 75: Self-Awareness, selected by Kristina Berglund
2. Day 11: Boldness, selected by Kate Parker
3. Day 13: Vitality, selected by Callie Carling
4. Day 48: Discovery, selected by Geoff Laughton
5. Day 54: Rebirth, selected by Cindy Papale
6. Day 45: Growth, selected by Jude Jennison
7. Day 23: Elegance, selected by Callie Carling, Cindy Papale and Lynn Jaussi Rush
8. Day 77: Continuity, selected by Shannon Jackson and Callie Carling
9. Day ???: Coming next week! What does YOUR intuition tell you?

I look forward to receiving your intuitive number this week.

See you in the Garden!

Warm wishes,
Lynn Serafinn
Author of Amazon bestseller, The Garden of the Soul: lessons from four flowers that unearth the Self
Main site: http://www.lynnserafinn.com