Vernon Howard once said, “No action is more fascinating than the action of self-transformation. Nothing on earth can compare with its drama or value.” In these often difficult and challenging times, a change in perspective—from a focus on the burdens weighing us down to a focus on empowering choices—can begin moving us forward in dramatic and positive directions.

We have a choice in every situation that confronts us. We can be a victim (of circumstances, people, attitudes) which drains our life force and energy and leads to illness, depression, or apathy; or we can choose to take positive action, beginning with taking charge of our thoughts. If you think you can't do something you can be fairly certain that you're right. If you think you can do something, even though challenging, you may be surprised to find that you can.

When I look back I can see that the greatest Challenges I've encountered have proved to be the impetus that enabled me to discover my strength and find my inner guidance. They have also given me the opportunity to clarify and act on my spiritual beliefs, moving them into a place of knowing.

When I was faced with a catastrophic illness more than 30 years ago I fell into some fear-based (victim) beliefs: that this condition symbolized some kind of failure, that healing (success) meant getting physically well, and that I had to find out what was wrong with or bad about me if I wanted to heal.

What I learned to transform in my perspective is that there are no failures, only lessons; that true death is living without an awareness of our spiritual nature and the beauty all around us; and that life is a school that enables us to move forward in our evolution, one grade at a time, toward an awareness of God or the Divine and an awakening of our own higher nature.

What I also learned is that healing isn't about living or dying, it isn't even about illness. Healing is about reconnecting to our wholeness and living from a foundation of love. It's about facing our deepest fears and delving deep enough to find the unique gifts that were given to us to unfold in this life.

Looking at the soul from a perspective of ongoing growth, we come into this life with a life plan. We come in with an intention to learn and heal in certain areas, both personally and collectively, but our vision is dimmed by the veils between this denser plane of physical reality and the finer plane of spiritual reality. Catastrophic events have the potential to push us beyond the habits and patterns of our dimmed awareness so that we can begin to pierce some of the veils and get on with what we're here to do—grow into conscious, aware, compassionate, and spiritual beings.

When I was struggling with the challenge of an advanced cancer I began to contemplate and write about what I call profound healing. Profound healing is not a cessation of physical symptoms, but an expanded awareness of our spiritual nature. It's a process of restoring integrity to all the areas of our lives and balancing our life energy so that we're not running on a deficit. We can call on this process whenever we're confronted with a challenge, whether the challenge is in the realm of mental, emotional, or physical dis-ease, relationships, finances, or anything else. Any difficulty can serve as a wake-up call that, if we choose to heed it, directs us to an incredible supply of inner resources and strength that we might otherwise never have found. When we act on those resources and strength we begin to shift and connect to our higher nature, leading to self-transformation in our inner and outer life.

As I confronted my own mortality, there were certain steps that I began to identify as transformational in the process of healing. There are many paths up the mountain, and we each need to discover our own. In keeping with that truth, the ideas offered are guidelines that can be modified in any way. They are resources to help stretch the boundaries of our consciousness and pierce the veils that limit our vision, enabling us to transform our awareness and embrace the sacred journey of life for however long that may be. These steps are for anyone who realizes that life is most fully lived when our loose ends are tied up, when we can be consciously whole in the present moment:

Focus on the Present

• Take charge
• Acquire an empowered attitude
• Simplify life
• Build a support system

Release the Past

• Explore attitudes and beliefs
• Practice forgiveness
• Transform negative feelings
• Do all you can and release the rest

Live Your Highest Ideal

• Establish personal integrity
• Trust inner wisdom
• Hold yourself in compassion
• Create a healing environment
  

Cheryl Canfield, CCHT, 2023