"The 5 Stages of Change"

A Time for Change

עוּרוּ עוּרוּ משינתכם "Wake up from your sleep!"

"Every day a spiritual voice announces to the whole world to wake up...and change"

"Sefer Shinuyim - Book of Changes"

But are you in tune ? Are you sensitive enough to hear this voice every day ? Do you hear the need to change ? Do you feel uncomfortable and have that inner feeling that your life is NOT in order ? Do you feel that need to change for the better ?

There are 5 stages of life transformation

Change can be easy, really---by changing your thoughts, you change your feelings, and thus change your actions. In our generation, we have better skills to deal with the darkness, and we are more enlightened and aware than ever before in history. Even still, it often has to get darker before it becomes lighter and brighter. But, in the modern world, we do not need to wait until something happens to cause us to change. In fact, you can choose to live a change-oriented, rich, and fulfilling life right now. To transform your life, you need to raise your awareness, practice pro-activity, and live by your vision, purpose, and values.

"There is nothing about a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly." This quote illustrates the change process perfectly. The butterfly represents a thing of great beauty. A butterfly completely transforms itself from a comfortable cocoon into a radiant entity with wings. You are like a beautiful butterfly waiting to be re-born and transformed.

Stage 1: Cocoon Stage
This stage is characterized by feelings of comfort, as you are beginning to awaken to the need to change. You begin to realize you could be so much more and recognize an error in judgment or dysfunctional pattern(s).

Stage 2: Growth Stage
This stage is characterized by feelings of discomfort, as you are beginning to stretch yourself, your abilities, your environment. You experience new ways of being and thinking and have the desire to transform yourself.

Stage 3: Change Stage
This stage is characterized by feelings of panic and fear, as you are beginning to look, feel, and act differently. You have a gut instinct that this change will be good for you, and request that Spirit assist you & provide with you with guidance. Nonetheless, during this stage, you may feel like your whole life has fallen apart, the only hope being sadness death and misery, you will probably be extremely fragile and sensitive . Just think of the caterpillar transforming into the butterfly, trust that you are changing and suddenly when the time is right you will come alive, with a brighter and more fulfilled life .

Stage 4: Flight Stage
This stage is characterized by feelings of confidence and courage, as you spread your wings to leave your old home to find a new home. You now recognize yourself as a beautiful creature, have excitement about future possibilities and you just do it.

Stage 5: Conscious Stage
This stage is characterized by feelings of inner peace and joy, as you remember and realize who you really are. You now understand that you are a co-creator and possess the power to become whatever you want to be and do whatever you want to do.

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The comparison of the transformation of a Caterpillar transforming into a butterfly is quoted by "Sefer Shinuyim" from the "Tiferes Yisroel" ,Reb Yisroel Lipschitz - yarzheit 3rd Tishrei in Derush Ohr HaChayim . This תפארת ישראל with respect to proving תחית המתים .

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Stage 3: Change Stage

During the "change stage" certain feelings and happenings will occur mysteriously which will make a person feel extremely sensitive and unsettled . I shall discuss these specific events here in order to reassure the reader that these events happen . They are perfectly normal in everyone's life, during the "change stage".

Feeling alone

Appropriate relationships, the demands of your life and this period of transformation , will force you to reevaluate which relationships in your life are worth keeping and which are not .

If you do not face this challenge consciously, then events will occur that will force you too to do so . Even people who have been with you for a long time will leave against your wishes .

Suddenly you will find yourself feeling alone and out of touch with everybody . You may feel you have no support from others, even loved ones whom you have counted on in the past for love and support . Even people whom you have helped and supported in the past suddenly are not there , now that you need help .

This breakdown in relationships is perfectly normal, whilst a person is changing . Think of a person like a spider on a spiders web, before the person can move on to a new home and a new life, it is vitally necessary to detach oneself from the present entanglements, when the last disconnection is made , one maybe exceedingly fragile and lonely, but now one is free to move anywhere .

This influence of change is likely to have a very disruptive effect on your relationships . Influences may enter your life during this stage that will challenge the foundations upon which your life is built . This challenge will be reflected in surprising encounters with others that upset your way of living or in sudden separations from persons who you thought would always be in your life .

During this period, it is quite likely that you will do things and go places you never would have thought of in the past . Anyone who is wedded to the status quo in life or the their past, will find this influence exceedingly disturbing and difficult .

Even ones true love and aspirations of romance will change . In false romance following animalistic passions and desires, the lower sexual-drive energies predominate . As with all materialistic and animals desires, this urge and attraction wears-off with time .

True romance is open hearted, heart-centred full of emotions based on truth, love and sincerity . True romance utilizes the energy of ones soul . As we described on the page of destiny ones true soulmate, is indeed simply ones other half . As one connects with ones soulmate, the spiritual energy created in the connection will bring you both very close to each other . On a level of "telepathy", one knows exactly what the other one is thinking and feeling . There is indeed a sense of wholesomeness as each knows they are each others half , feeling the pain and joy of the other person .

During the transformation stage of "mid-life crisis", one may look to deepen ones relationship with ones spouse rising to this spiritual level OR one may indeed be going through a divorce in search of ones true soulmate and destiny . Recognizing that ones current spouse is NOT ones true destiny . Another difficult decision to make during the transitional change stage .

Understanding that the changes in our life happen for good, it is destiny .

So be calm and allow changes to occur !

בהרחבת הדעת וּמנוּחת הנפש

This is the ברכה "brucha" - blessing of the Biala Rebbe to all our generation, is to wish everyone tranquility & peace of mind . Learn to accept the tests, challenges and changes in our life with peace of mind, calmness and acceptance from GOD . That everything that happens is a part of our destined pathway, to bring us to a "GOLDEN STAGE" of purposeful and creative life .

There is nothing wrong in having made mistakes in ones youth, provided one is honest in "mid-life" to admit the mistakes, and change for the better . It is well known that one of the greatest Rabbis - Rabbi Akiva only began his spiritual learning at the age of 40 .

Learning to trust in GOD and spirit world, take life calmly, accepting everything that happens is for the best . In acknowledging the fact that ones life was on the wrong pathway, and having the courage to use ones strength to make the effort to change takes constant focus whilst one is changing .

Whilst changes are occurring, trust and know that there is a divine plan for you and that nothing happens by accident or coincidence . Everything will turn out just fine for you in your life and you too will learn to love life in the "golden stage" of your life, radiating the glow of a purposeful life, of loving kindness, aliveness and vitality. It will happen for you, just like it has happened for millions of people before you on our planet, created by GOD for a purposeful, creative life of love and change .

Our destiny and purpose in this life is to change.

Life on planet earth is constantly changing, the flowers, trees, animal kingdom and even the most stubborn of human beings who resist change are changing !!!

Consider a tree during the seasons, does the tree resist change during the autumn months as the leaves fall off . We all understand that this is a cycle of life , the tree has not died , simply taking a rest during the winter , before it reinvents itself and grows longer and bigger in the spring .

SO WAKE UP AND CHANGE

עוּרוּ עוּרוּ משינתכם

Embrace life and the wonderful changes

then ones life will transform for the better !