What the caterpillar calls the end of the world,
the master calls a butterfly.
-Richard Bach

 Transcending Path to Wellness

Continuing with to the series of blogs on Wellness, this post arrives at the last dimension of the wellness wheel: the dimension of transcendence. I know that sounds pretty heavy, and it is open to all sorts of interpretations.

Transcendence can mean anything you choose it to mean, but one interpretation is about your connection to something bigger than yourself.  Some people may view it as their spiritual part, based on their faith, or connection to the Universe or to God.

I once heard this idea expressed visually with the image of a hand. We are represented by the fingers, living our lives in our isolated bodies, but we are all connected at a deeper level, which is represented by the palm. We are not alone – we are all connected!

No matter where your faith takes you, the central idea of the concept of transcendence is the recognition that we are part of each other and we are all interconnected to something larger than ourselves.

You can’t help believing that when you look at the stars, or at a butterfly fluttering by.

Butterfly Effect

 

 

Have you ever heard of the “butterfly effect?”  It is a scientific theory that a single occurrence, no matter how small, can change the course of the universe forever. It is based on the idea that a wave of a butterfly’s wing can create an impact in the atmosphere that can change the path of a tornado in a different part of the world.

It isn’t the butterfly that directly creates the tornado, but the flutter of the wing represents the small change that initiates the chain of events that creates the condition for the tornado in the other part of the world.

This idea tells us that everything matters. If you change even the smallest of life’s details, you completely change its outcome.

Metaphorically speaking, we are butterfly wings. What we do matters. When we do things, there are cascading consequences and there are second- and third-order effects that we are connected to a bigger whole.

So, be intentional about your choices. What you do matters. You matter.

 The way the concept of transcendence connects to Wellness is that it encourages us to slow down and pay attention to the world inside us and the world around us.  The practice of relaxation and meditation encourages us to connect with our internal world and allow that to be the path to connecting with something bigger than ourselves.

Dr. Ines K. Roe has been helping women in transition rediscover themselves for over 20 years. If you’re  been feeling unfulfilled, are frustrated with your sense of accomplishment in midlife, or simply need guidance on your path to holistic well being, join her ecourses.