Day 6: Take a Creative Risk

Nothing changes unless we change. All the work you have done to know yourself and understand others is interesting; but it's how you use it that takes it from interesting to transformative. You are now equipped with the knowledge to transform your thoughts and feelings by acting on your Truth and extending love to the world - you can simply tune into your values and principles, and draw on your strengths and the transforming power of love.

Transforming Power is a term coined by the Alternatives to Violence Project, which was started by Quakers and inmates at the Greenhaven Prison in New York in the 1970's, at a time of great unrest and violence. Together the inmates and the Quakers developed non-violence workshops inside prisons, which continue to this day, with town and inmate students, and town and inmate leaders.

In a nutshell, Transforming Power is a river of energy at your core, made up of your essential wisdom, strength, and goodness, which you can touch in with in order to experience a shift. It might be a shift from anger or resentment to peace; it might be a shift from fear and powerlessness to strength; it might be a shift from sadness or worry to joy. 

The shift you experience might be slow and steady or like a lightning bolt, but it will contain an element of love: You become part of the whole, no longer isolated. You will experience a self-acceptance and a sense of peace that allows you to connect with others without hesitation. It's this connection that transforms you: Your view of the world is transformed, everything is different. You see people and situations in a new light, are able let go of whatever was holding you back and act - one small step at a time.

The Alternatives to Violence Manual says, “'Transforming Power’ is not dogma nor is it an item of faith. It is simply a term to refer to something that participants often experience when they respect themselves, care for others, seek a non-violent path, think before reacting, or expect the best.” AVP gives every participant a little card to carry that lists the Guides to Transforming Power. I want to highlight three:

-Base your position on truth.

-When you are clear about your position, expect to experience great inward power to act on it.

-Do not expect that this response will automatically ward off danger. If you cannot avoid risk, risk being creative rather than violent.

The final habit we will practice is the habit of creative risk-taking. Creativity is our greatest super-power, the rich resource that leads us towards transformation. You've been practicing creativity all throughout this book - you've generated creative ideas with brainstorming (which is, remember, to freely think outside the box and generate ideas without the fear of criticism); you have creatively visualized your path forward with vision walks; and then you created a map of your future.

Creativity is risky by nature, because it puts us on an uncertain path that we can only see by taking it. Your journey towards transforming your world will lead to more and more unpredictability - it's the nature of transformation. The trick is to learn how to be comfortable with uncertainty, and trust in the creative process. You have the map, and your Truth is a beacon of light shining the way; you just need to take the first step, and trust that your process has been good.

Try this creative awareness practice:

• Journal: Use your Love Journal to review and process all your encounters with uncertainty from yesterday, and also to think about the day ahead and when you might face an encounter with uncertainty today. Ask, "How can I bring mindfulness to the practice of creative risk-taking in the ordinary setting of every day?"

• Observe: As you face daily encounters with unpredictability, notice your feelings of fear, irritation, confusion, defensiveness, worry, or disappointment- these are flags that show you when you are holding back.

• Break your pattern: Rather than holding back, perk up and lean in to the situation with eagerness. Embrace the uncertainty of the moment. Step out of the safety zone! Accept the situation, accept your emotions, and accept the people involved.

• Draw on Transforming Power: Touch the river of energy at your core, made up of your essential wisdom, strength, and goodness, and make a shift to peace; to strength; to joy. 

“When you open … to the continually changing, impermanent, dynamic nature of your own being and of reality, you increase your capacity to love and care about other people and your capacity to not be afraid. You're able to keep your eyes open, your heart open, and your mind open. And you notice when you get caught up in prejudice, bias, and aggression. You develop an enthusiasm for no longer watering those negative seeds, from now until the day you die. And, you begin to think of your life as offering endless opportunities to start to do things differently.” ~ Pema Chödrön

Love is energy. We can produce the energy of love and extend it to the world so that it grows out in ripples. We can never have too much love in the world, and I trust in love to save us all.