THE POWER OF TRANSFORMATION (Concluding Part)

One fateful day in 1951, a boy was born into the poor family of a young illiterate couple in America. Like every other child, he came into the world with promise. 

However, he fared so poorly in school; he became a laughing stock until a dramatic turnaround transported him to the top of his class. He continued doing brilliantly and in 1973 was admitted into medical school. But he soon began to struggle again. It was so bad he was counselled to drop out or reduce his academic load. Nevertheless, he would experience another change of fortune and later become a global icon in medical science. 

This is the story of Ben Carson, the world acclaimed neurosurgeon. It is a story of personal transformation - first from laughing stock to brilliant chap; then from struggling student to famed surgeon.

What Exactly Is It?

Owing to its fundamental definition as, change, it readily comes to mind that transformation is a thing of process. What is not often realized however, is the power it carries along. That power is an unseen dynamic force that shifts us from one state or stage to another. It may change us holistically from one thing to another or translate us from a tiny raw version of something to a bigger, refined version. Ben Carson experienced both as he was transformed from a dullard to a genius and from a fumbling medical student to a renowned medical practitioner.   

Passive or Active 

In reality, we all experience the power of transformation passively or actively. That is, we will change inevitably whether we do something or nothing. No one is static. 

As a passive force, transformation acts on us naturally. It is continuously at work, causing us to evolve and change even without any deliberate effort of ours. This is because the environment, society and everything in and around us are constantly interacting with our entire being. If all someone does every day, for instance, is wake and sleep  doing practically nothing, will such remain the same, say after three months? Maybe then, such would have been translated from life to death.

On the flip side, meanwhile, active transformation requires us to take deliberate action. It demands responsibility. By doing something intentionally, what we do is, give direction to the power of transformation. We tell it how we want it to go, because there is an end (product) we have in view. 

Potential for Many Directions

The most important reason we all should get intentional about how we transform is because the power of transformation can be pulled in any direction. Ben Carson and his brother Curtis, though quite young, were gradually being transformed into academic never-do-wells until their mum, helped them become more deliberate about their lives. Before long, the power of transformation was towed in the path of academic erudition.

The undeniable truth is, there are many possible outcomes to a single life. It all depends on the direction that the ever-acting power of transformation takes. Ben, had temper issues. He could have ended in jail and ultimately become a societal misfit, if he had done nothing about it. And we wouldnt have known today, Ben Carson, the neurosurgeon! 

The matter of direction is why some go from good to great and some bad to worse. No wonder, many times when people talk about transforming their lives, what they actually mean is taking intentional steps to channel the transformation course in a better (desired) direction. 

The Factor of Time 

Because it is a process, the contribution of time must not be neglected. What this means is that, even after we become deliberate about how we translate, our transformation will only be evident after a while. Ben Carson did not immediately jump to the top of his class. He took a progressive journey there. In course of time however, we must evaluate our progress, to be sure the other ever-present actors are not subtly luring the power of transformation away from our chosen path.

Meanwhile, the time it takes for transformation to be evident can vary widely. For some, it may be rapid and short; for others, it may be gradual and long. It depends in part on desire and effort and sometimes, supernatural input. For instance, in the bible, Saul experienced a quick radical change from daredevil persecutor to passionate apostle while Peter and his brother evolved gradually from fishermen to fisher of men.

It is Up to Us

There is no doubt that transformation and its power form an indispensable force of life that takes anyone from the past through the present to the future. But even with all that potential, what we become eventually depends predominantly on us - our choices and decisions. In the profound words of Frank Tyger, Your future depends on many things, but mostly on you.   

About the writer

Ogaga Eruteya is a Biomedical scientist, poet and youth development enthusiast.
He is a lover of Jesus and an ardent pursuer of kingdom principles. He is also the author of the book "Cistern of Treasures", a compendium of poems, full of wisdom and insight about the day to day life of man.