Phase Shift

When it's time, it's time...

One minute water is 211 degrees, the next moment it’s 212 degrees and has turned into steam. This moment of transformation is called a “phase shift.” It happens suddenly, but it took awhile to get there.

A phase shift that we will all encounter is called death, a moment of transformation from the state of living in a human body to … something else. Those who have died and come back return with tales of light and peace, remembering the feeling of joy at having released a pain-ridden body in a chaotic world, in favor of a realm of pure love.

So, how come they don’t immediately jump off a bridge to return there?

They returned for a reason. They now know that, regardless of how seductive that further world may have been and how powerful the invitation back might be, they need to complete their lives properly. Perhaps it gives them comfort to know what’s waiting for them. Perhaps this empowers them to do their thing before that final phase shift from human to something beyond.

Without needing the motivation of a near death experience, we might ask, “What is mine to complete before I leave?”

On a recent podcast, my illumined guest posed the question, “What is the necessary death?” Here’s one interpretation: what needs to die that’s getting in the way of completing our mission on Planet Earth? I think of things like reluctance, self judgment, fear of failure and fear of success, etc.

Well, here’s an offer I hope will be irresistible: If I go for it, will you go for it too? Why don’t we take a moment… it won’t take long, and contemplate our lives. I figure I have about 20 years left in mine. What’s mine to do between now and then? How about you?

Here’s one man’s vision, an unlikely hero figure taking a stand in his life. He alerts us to what’s different in asking and answering this question about personal purpose in 2023, having witnessed the recent global power grab that’s gaining momentum. We can’t ignore this. We may not live to see a 1984 dystopian world fully implemented, but we owe it to our grandchildren to do whatever we can to stop it.

For those who take up this challenge, please let me know what it is you will do that you’ve hesitated to do before. I’m thinking of mine and it’s scary! But, hell, what have we got to lose? If we try and fail we will have learned something and we’ll remember that we were courageous. If we try and succeed, wow, that’s got to feel great. But if we hear this invitation and refuse it, we’ll have to live with our apathy.

My sense is that once we fully commit and stay with “it,” we can build momentum towards that phase shift moment. Water has to reach 211 and then go one more degree higher. I wonder what that would feel like, to be in an intensifying growth cycle like that? I’d like to find out.

So, you tell me yours, I’ll tell you mine. We can share it all in the Comment section below. That’s it for my post this week, short and sweet, giving you time to dream up your challenge.