Transformation: Part I - Tsunami of Change

Tsunami of Change

Change, however disruptive it is to our lives, carries with it potential and always presents opportunity. Though a tsunami, in the material world can be destructive and even deadly. A tsunami in our unconscious is not something to be dreaded.

Having had several dreams of tsunami waves over a short period of time, I decided to do a little research. In the world of dreams, the tsunami is a metaphor for powerful changes that are the result of a radical shift in the seabed of our unconscious. When shift and change rock our unconscious like an underwater earthquake or volcanic eruption, our lives feel the magnitude of that, and like a tsunami touches the shoreline of our lives. When this kind of shift happens in our unconscious we may perceive it as potential disaster. In actuality it may be a messenger bringing tidings of new beginnings and potential for imaginative change. This is a messenger we would do well to welcome.

Indeed change is a challenging force in our lives. It is also an ally. When the seabed of our lives quakes, shaking the foundational plates that undergird us, when there is clashing and pressure creating eruptions, foundations are being reshaped. New possibilities, like mountains arising out of the horizon, are creating new biospheres where new life finds a new dwelling place, a new hearth and center. When volcanic eruptions release a lava flow, over time ash and eroding lava become rich soil, the potential home for new seeds and new life. These components of a radically shifting foundation are our allies.

Our lives as story have peaks and valleys, there are crescendos creating an arc to our story and there are resolving stanzas of our song that bring gratitude. The drama of our story, of any story grips us, and we as the character in our own story are transformed by the pressure of the challenges we face. Like a diamond that is forged under pressure, we are forged in the unseen regions of our being, and emerge as a hero, bringing a gift with us.

In his book Canticle to the Cosmos, Brian Swimme speaks of the essential nature of this challenge of finding our expression of creativity, of finding the center or the creative place of origin, in the midst of disruptive change. We are shaken and loosed from our ego and selfishness just enough to begin to discover the gift it brings and even to become the gift. This says Swimme is part of the larger story of the Universe.

What foundations are shifting in your life?

Writing Prompt for the Week: Crescendo