We’ve all had the days when we throw our hands up in the air, exclaiming “I give up!” When the universe decides to throw us a curve ball, asking us to deal with something that we weren’t quite expecting.

And then there are the days when we wake up ready to write out a formal invitation to Change, complete with an RSVP at the bottom.  When we make no bones about asking for a heaping dose of transformation with all the fixin’s, please.

And so, how to best handle the days when we’re fired up, ready for anything?  We can choose to go in blindfolded and hope for the best – much like moving through a dark room, arms awkwardly thrust out in front of us.  Or, we can choose to be more prepared, setting ourselves up with some basic tools to maneuver the landscape of transformation.

Craft your intentions.

If you are going to take the time to formally invite change into your life, you might as well make it worth your while.  Set an intention.  What is it that you would like to shift? Be clear. And realistic.

In order for our intentions to have staying power, we must evaluate where we are now and determine what can realistically come next.  Not that our more visionary, lofty goals aren’t valid or attainable. On the contrary. We move more effortlessly toward our most creative and cherished dreams by choosing do-able steps along the way.

Once you have a handle on your intention, repeat and repeat again. The more you articulate your wishes, the more they are being heard.  It doesn’t matter what you believe in – God, Spirit, the help of others, your own power of manifestation. This is about opening yourself up to help in whatever form it wants to come.

Eyes and ears open.

Once you’ve articulated your intention, it’s time to turn up the volume on your senses. Listen and watch for signs pointing you in the direction of true transformation. Particularly circumstances that you might label as coincidence, because they often serve as the most unexpected catalysts on our path of change.  Of course, there will also be the obvious “Eureka!” moments that will propel you into the realms of transformation that you might never have imagined.  Make sure to enjoy those heady experiences to the fullest.

If you land in a place of overload, invoke the power of discernment.  Be attentive to what needs to be filtered out and what needs to be embraced.  It can help to return to your original intention if you are feeling overwhelmed or lost.  The simple question, “Is this person, this situation, helping to move me toward my goal?”  can weed out the  charlatans that divert you from your true purpose and intention.

Embrace the journey.

Once you actively invite in change, the floodgates will be open for business.  You will be awash with opportunities to step forward, to challenge yourself, to take action, to transform.  Sometimes you’ll have to take two steps back to reassess and choose a more appropriate route.  Sometimes, you’ll find yourself moving forward at bionic speed, with no resistance in sight.

That’s the thing about transformation;  it asks us to take a leap of faith, with a willingness to suspend the rational mind that thinks it knows the most logical steps to our goal.  Once we surrender to the joy and mystery of the journey itself, the day will come when we find ourselves in the company of the very changes we invited in the first place.