Secrets of Shamanism

148 SECRETS OF SHAMANISM

glass to the half-full one. In this way too, the process of

change can begin from a place of having rather than a place

of not having.

The concept of surrender also includes, in this case, a real

willingness to do whatever it takes, whatever your shamanic

instructions are to bring about the change. What you think

you may have to do for the change and what you actually

need to do could be very different. For example, you may

think that you need to sue someone else to get justice, but

your spirit self may tell you that you should seek arbitration

instead. This depends on who or what else is involved in the

process, for when you consider the bigger picture you need

to remember that your change cannot occur at the expense of

someone else. Therefore, if your original plan was not in

harmony with those involved, your agenda may be slightly

changed. Trust your spirit self, who always sees the bigger

picture. It knows what is best.

Sometimes fear enters into the picture, usually in the

form of fear of giving up control or fear of the unknown.

Hopefully, by now you have learned not only that your

higher or spirit self knows what's best for you, but also that

the universe is based on harmony and balance and will never

throw something in your path that you are unable to handle.

The goal of the natural world is maintaining this balance and

what you usually find at the other end of change are feelings

of self-fulfillment and exhiliration.

ACTION

Unless you physically do something to catalyze the pro-
cess and make it real, your goal remains a dream, in the
potential of the spirit world only. This again is another area
where you can get stuck. For many of us, the very action we
mistakenly think we need to take keeps us from attaining our
goal of change. Many of those action steps you set for your-
self, the ones that you really don't wish to do, result from the
very belief system you are trying to change.
For example, suppose your goal is to be more open, less
shy and awkward in social situations. Perhaps this is con-
nected to a bigger goal of finding a committed relationship.
You happen to believe that in order to be the way you want
to be you must appear extroverted, funny, and enjoy going to
bars and parties because you have seen that your friends who
are successful in that realm have those qualities. You have
tired this before unsuccessfully but this time you are really