On Becoming Ourselves
Transformation tourism vs. doing the inner work to become ourselves
It so often happens that somebody says “change your life” and you repaint your car rather than re-wire the engine.—Pico Iyer
We've all had those days. Days where we've poured our heart and soul into doing something that matters, doing the work of becoming ourselves, and then it gets hard.
We lose heart. We back off. We bail on ourselves.
In one of his posts, blogger and thought leader Seth Godin calls it “transformation tourism”:
“I bought the diet book, but ate my usual foods.
I filled the prescription, but didn't take the meds.
I took the course . . . well, I watched the videos . . . but I didn't do the exercises in writing.
Merely looking at something almost never causes change.
Tourism is fun, but rarely transformative.
If it were easy, you would have already achieved the change you seek. Change comes from new habits, from acting as if, from experiencing the inevitable discomfort of becoming.”1
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Mr. Godin is right, of course. And I would add one caveat to his message: the work you do to become yourself may not be easy, but it doesn't have to be hard, either. It can be soft. It can be gentle.
It can be slow.
Daily repetition, conscious baby steps, and compassionate self-care are potent habit changers.
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Why do you think it's necessary to rush? What would happen if you slowed down even just a tiny bit? What are you looking forward to most about this year?
Ahhh 🏡
Week 1 — Slowing Down Challenge
What you’ve just read comes from “Take Five,” Chapter 1 of A Year for You — the book we are using to cultivate the first of 5 steps to spaciousness in 2025: slowing down.
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If you’d like to participate, it is not too late to join us.
Learn more about the 2025 “Spacious Way to a Lighter You” clearing series HERE.