Five Simple Steps To A Complete Life Makeover

Posted by The Mistress Lilith on Mar 12, 2011 in | 4 comments

Creating change in our lives is simple,  it’s just not easy.

This article is an abbreviated version of my Spiral Path. It lays out five steps, (and the principals and practices that accompany each),  in a circular pattern corresponding with the physical ritual creation of a sacred space.

This casting of a circle brings the physical and the non-physical together in one space. It is the essence of meditation, prayer or working magic. Each may seem  different at first glance, but I think of them metaphorically as languages.

Don’t be distracted that the same message sounds different spoken in French  than in Japanese or English!

One way or another,  prayer, meditation or ritual,  is the alignment of our selves and our physical circumstances to the realm of the divine. We seek a harmony and a communion with that which is beyond our physical self, and to bring back from that realm wisdom, patience, love, insight – all the gifts of spirit.

I’ve remade my life over  several times and I know first-hand the process of real change takes time and effort and it takes the influence of something just a little larger than ourselves too.

It isn’t complicated, but it is easier to stay in a rut than get out of it.If you stay focused though, the effort to get out of that rut is only a little more than staying put.

STEP 1  –  Clarity

Clarity corresponds with the East, the direction from which the sun rises. What an easy metaphor – no wonder it’s the direction associated with new beginnings and insight!

(Intellect and air are also associated with  East.)

Honestly, these steps will take a lot more time than you think. This one is first for a reason. It’s the most critical and simply cannot be  skimped on – period. I’ve found that getting in touch with what really drives you or holds you back is a long term activity that engages you for life.

So a little surgery or a higher paying job isn’t going to do the trick. The examined life is more than some weekend accomplishment, and for many of us, this is the first and hardest lesson to come to terms with.

Fortunately, investing time examining one’s life and inner patterns is a satisfying and fruitful habit.

The most common way to engage in this inner work is with journal writing. Some people go to a shrink, me….I write.  I’ve kept a journal for more than twenty five years, and I can attest to how powerful this tool is when treated seriously for self examination.

STEP 2 –  Vision

From the direction of South comes warmth, heat and fire. Here is where major transformation has its humble beginning!  Fire transforms whatever we’re putting into our heads or cauldrons; thoughts and ideas and passions can mix and stew and bubble together.

So, what exactly are you going to add to yours and what bits will you discard?

Identifying and eliminating the un-supportive elements in your life that get in the way of moving in the direction of your dreams is not an easy undertaking. The soul searching and learning must continue.You may need to learn new habits, maybe read books or take workshops to address your own particular challenges.

How can you get your boat out of the harbor if it’s still moored to the dock? How can you navigate out to the open sea if there are boats going back and forth in front of you?

Only you can identify what you need and what your own obstacles are.

Do you need to learn to prioritize? Maybe you need to learn to say “no”. Maybe your current job, your spouse, your family demands, even the hobbies you currently engage in; any of these in some way might be elements you need to navigate or negotiate with.

There may be some hard decisions to make about removing people and circumstances that are not in your long term best interest. As the saying goes, you cannot soar with the eagles if you’re hanging out with the turkeys!

STEP 3  –  Creation

Moving along as we cast our circle, we come to the West. This direction is where the sun sets and the air cools and now the watery depths of the great dark abyss beckons.

It can be a scary place.

The realm of water is the primordial place from which all life originates. This is the realm of emotion and the subconscious; the place from which all hopes and fears, dreams and madness reside.

From this potent place we bring our clarity and vision together  to craft our plan; our life map.

A life map is nothing more than an elaborate collection of  goals.  Too many people talk about goal setting, however, without having done the preliminary work of step one and step two. Quite frankly, everyone knows it’s not enough to set goals; even written ones with an accomplishment deadline.

A list of goals by itself is basically a to-do list. It’s kind of dry and boring. A life-Map, however, is more fleshed out. It illustrates what your life looks like with those goals accomplished, it sustains your visualization and motivation, and it reinforces the “Why” factor of your goals.

You need that “why” factor, because you’re going to go around on a spiral path that winds back in upon itself, again and again! Keep in mind the great wisdom of this journey is that there’s no there, there!

STEP 4   – Action 

Now we find ourselves in the position of North, corresponding to the element of Earth. This is about all things fundamental and solid; mountains and rocks come to mind. Earth is physicality.  It’s “real”. Hence it’s about taking action.

This is where all of our activities are grounded. Daily yoga? Cooking healthy food? Learning how to pole dance? Making yourself go to the gym and workout….all of these are actions.

Step 5 – Commitment

The fifth direction is no direction at all. It is the center of our circle and the realm of Great Spirit. It corresponds to the hidden aspect that we associate as outside of ourselves.

Commitment and faith and constant refinement are the motifs of this centered place. We have focused and gotten clear, visioned and created our path. We’ve taken action.

From this place however, we are reminded to see ourselves and our actions from a larger perspective. We are energized and recommitted to begin again upon the spiral path. Each go around we refine ourselves and our vision and our understanding.

Like a boat that has charted it’s course, we are affected by the coastline, the tides and the winds in life. We will have to make constant course corrections to adjust for these influences as we move forward in life.

We can approach the necessity of course corrections in an angry way; irritated by all that life throws in our path to thwart us from our course. Or we can choose to see life as a grand adventure. It’s a cliche but a truism that life really is about the journey.

There is no destination. There is no there, there.

Our job is to pay attention – shift the sails as the wind shifts. Don’t forget the destination, but do enjoy the wind whipping your hair, revel in the power it gives you to move through life!

Our challenges are what make us, they shape our character and they are what has given us our strength.  Remember to be thankful for that.

Keep in mind that these five simple steps are the beginning of any undertaking; losing weight, embarking on a new career, preparing for an empty nest etc.

The journey of a thousand miles, the journey of the rest of your life, begins with these humble steps. You’ll take two steps forward and sometimes one going back. But just keep moving, your life is being made over every single step of the way!