On September 11, 2001 the world changed. It changed in a ways that no one expected and no one knows what the outcome or full impact will be. There are the obvious physical things that occurred.  Two planes crashed into the World Trade Center buildings, toppling them to the ground like a house of cards. Third plane crashed into the Pentagon, desecrating an icon of our nations strength.  Shortly after, fourth plane plowed into the ground in Pennsylvania, missing its intended target thanks to the heroism of the brave souls on board. Finally and more importantly, the hearts and minds of people worldwide were opened by the events of that haunting day. As we sat glued to our television sets, staring on in disbelief, it is as if the earth stood still. Life was suddenly different, and we fount our world altered and now on a new course.   

We experience the largest inner transformations when we lose a valued way or life of our view of reality is shaken to its core. Change jars our inner world. With it, our old life no longer makes sense and we no longer find satisfaction in the things we once held dear. It forces us to look at who we are, what we are doing and where we are going. It can be thought of as an indication or reminder that something deep within us needs to be modified or let go of. The question is—what do we need to let go of?

Within minutes of these events, many of the things we once cherished seemed unimportant in the wake of our new worldview. Perhaps getting a considerable promotion, scoring another big sale or buying a new car wasn't as important as it once was before.  Instead, maybe we felt an overwhelming need hug our children, call our parents and make sure that our friends and neighbors were okay. Perhaps we found the time to help someone in need or even found ourselves doing unto others, as we would want them to do to us. Perhaps you found yourself looking at the kinds of movies and television shows we are producing, the kinds of music we are making or stopped to think about the way we are treating our environment and ourselves. In this changing time, you might have found yourself worrying less about the "things" you could have and instead thought about the things you could do to make the world a better place. 

Change, inevitably causes us to go through a period of transition, a period of relearning and regrouping. According to William Bridges, transition is "The process of letting go of the way things used to be and then taking hold of the way they subsequently become. In between the letting go and the taking hold again, there is a chaotic but potentially creative neutral zone when things aren't the old way, but aren't really a new way yet either."

Transition comes when one chapter of our life is over and another is waiting to begin. When we are in transition, we feel as if our lives are in a shamble or as if everything is up for grabs. Transition, however, helps us to reorient ourselves to new situations. It gives us a chance to clean out old baggage and get rid of things that aren't working for us anymore. It gives us a chance to try some new thoughts, views and concepts on for size. One thing about being in transition is that it has a will of its own. When we go into a period of transition, who we are, what we want and where we will be going is not known in advance. It is, however, the fertile soil in which we can plant the seeds of tomorrow. 

It has been said that in order to bring in change you need to shake up the apple cart. Well, the apple cart has been shaken and the question is…how are we going to put the apples back into the cart? Right now as a nation, we are in fear. We are afraid to fly, afraid to spend money, afraid to move forward in our endeavors. It is almost as if we have chosen to put our lives on hold. Why? Because we are faced with uncertainty. We don't know what will happen to our nation, our world and us.  Nothing prepared us for the events that have taken place. But like the phoenix, we can use this period of transition to change, to leave our old world behind and usher in a new one. 

As the men and woman of the police and fire departments and other brave and tireless workers work to pick up the pieces of wreckage that lay lifeless upon the earth, we too must pick up the pieces of our lives. No matter how impossible it may seem right now, we will get back on track again.  Perhaps we can use these events as a step toward our becoming more authentic in our world—to know ourselves better, to express who we are and then use this new information to make tough choices for ourselves and society, trusting that who we are or who we are becoming will be alright.   We can use this time to dig deep within ourselves and sort out what is important to us, cleaning out the closets of our minds and taking stock of our inner thoughts, hopes and dreams. 

The events of that unforgettable day have prodded man and mankind into action, creating a crossroad in our development as a nation and a people. We are being given a choice. We can choose to be the same or we can choose to something different, better. We can take this opportunity to learn to live in harmony with our neighbors, our environment and ourselves.  As we rise through the ashes, perhaps it was no mistake that these events occurred on 9-11.Perhaps it was our way of calling God and asking for help.

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