10 Steps To Radical Change

The first step many of us take when we’re trying to evolve, grow, or change is to look for support from the outside. We search for the next podcast, dietary restriction, book, motivational video, or the best piece of advice from a friend. But none of that will ever have a lasting impact if you don’t understand the concept in this lesson first. Here’s a hint: real change is not just about “what you do,” but about “who you are.”

In the last practice we talked about the first and most crucial step to radical change. Today, we are going to explore a practice that will help you gain awareness of the places that you might be going unconscious so that you can be in greater alignment with the vision that you see for your life and for the world.

This practice is all about stopping the fight within. We can be so hard on ourselves. The inner-war that goes on in our own heads is a form of violence. It’s self-harm. Inner-oppression. And what we do within, we end up doing to others as well. In this way, learning to care for yourself, and to be gentle with yourself—especially in moments when you’re struggling—is of service to the world.

In today’s practice we’re talking about a topic that we all deal with: Perfectionism. Perfectionism fools us into prioritizing acceptance and validation from others instead of taking action toward our purpose and calling. This lesson will help you learn to take action toward your dreams and show you that your imperfections may actually be the pathway toward your goals.

Self-care isn’t just about getting massages, pampering yourself, and taking time away from work. Those things are nice, but the deeper version of self-care isn’t just about the occasional niceties we do for ourselves. It’s bigger than that. Day 5 is all about Radical Self-Care, and removing the roadblocks that keep us from committing to it.

In the first half of this series, we looked deeply within at the ways in which we might be oppressing ourselves, and now we’re going to start to look out how this intersects with and manifests in the world around us—starting with toxic habits: the things that might be holding you back without you even knowing it.

Getting involved in a social justice movement is not as challenging as you might think. For some people, it looks like organizing and protesting and marching. For other people, it looks a little different. This practice will guide your toward taking authentic action so that you can make change in the world around you.

Did you know that science has proven that we inherit trauma from our ancestors. It’s encoded in our DNA. This is why meditating while you’re black, or gay, or poor, or trans, or a person of color, or if you’ve experienced trauma, or grown up in the struggle is revolutionary. The fact that we, today, have the opportunity to think about things like mental health, manifesting, and life purpose is an opportunity and privilege that we cannot take for granted. This practice will guide you forward, no matter what you’ve been through.

Although most people despise racism and prejudice, research has proven we’re all a little bit racist sometimes. That’s because we all make negative and positive assumptions about other people based on superficial differences in things like social identity, gender, and appearance. It happens almost automatically, but with mindfulness meditation we can interrupt that pattern. Day 9 will help you identify your blind spots, and help you take action toward radical change for all!

The real point of meditation is to realize that the guru is within you. In this practice, you will learn to create your own personal mantra. One that takes you toward your goals, your unique vision, and your vision for radical change. This is the “secret sauce” to your meditation practice, and something you’ll be able to take with you for days or years to come.