Leaving Your Old Self Behind

At Intend2Lead, our intention is to ignite transformation in emerging leaders. Transformation is a powerful word, not to be thrown around lightly.

What does transformation mean to us?

The root of transformation is the verb, “transform.” Dictionary.com defines transform as “to change in condition, nature or character; convert.” Transformation changes your nature, your very character. You are a different version of yourself, a better version. You think, feel and act different. You may even look different.

 I’ve found three things to be true for the transformations I’ve experienced in my own life.

• Transformation can be gradual, or it can be instantaneous. When I gave birth to my son in January 2015, I was instantaneously transformed. The moment I heard my son’s first cry, I was forever changed.  I discovered a new part of myself that had not yet been realized.  I expanded in a way that I didn’t know was possible.

  I experienced a gradual transformation a few years ago. When I became a partner at my CPA firm and took on a new leadership position, I began a personal quest for growth. I immersed myself in self-improvement endeavors, including getting in better physical shape, joining a group coaching program, reading everything I could get my hands on, taking on new leadership positions in the community, among other things. I didn’t notice big changes on a day-to-day basis. But when the “new me” looked back at the “old me” a few months later, I didn’t recognize myself. Over time, I shifted my habitual thought patterns from a negative to a positive place. From a place where “life happened to me” to a place where I now create my own life. It may have seemed subtle, but the impact on me was tremendous.

• After a transformational experience, you live from a new place. It is impossible to return to old ways of being, thinking and acting. From this new place, you see the world differently. New possibilities appear. Things from this new vantage point appear simpler and clearer. You feel better, more energized.

• When you transform, the world changes around you. My surroundings, circumstances, and relationships changed. You see things that were there all along, yet you never noticed them before. You even look at the same thing in a new way. It has new meaning for you. You see it differently because you are different.

My favorite definitions of the word transform in Dictionary.com are the definitions used in mathematics and physics.

• “Mathematics. To change the form of (a figure, expression, etc.) without in general changing the value.” When you transform, the core essence of who you are does not change (i.e., the value does not change). You express that essence in a radically different way (i.e., the form of expression is changed). You uncovered more of your true self, your best self. You can now express that part of yourself. You see yourself and the world around you at an elevated level of awareness.
• “Physics. To change into another form of energy.” All matter in this world, including us, is made up of vibrating energy. When you transform, you operate at a higher energy level than you did before. When you access this higher level of energy, you can be more and do more than you could before. You can do more with less.

As much as we can define transformation with words, it transcends language. It’s a place. It’s a feeling. At Intend2Lead, what we do know is:

• Transformation happens from the inside out.
• Transformation starts with intention.

Brian and I are excited to explore these ideas in more depth with you.

All my best,

Think different: What does transformation mean to you? Where in your life could transformation benefit you most right now?