Bob Schwartz

There are many ways to point out the importance, primacy, essentiality of personal transformation.

That begs three questions: important for what, transformation to what, and how? Let me sidestep those monumental questions, saying only and simply: important to make you and others happy, in one of the many ways available.

A thing that prompts this is my observation of how many initiatives—religion, economics, politics being just a few—are devoted to engagement and practices aimed at “better” outcomes for yourself and others (going to heaven, joining a community, making money, donating money, getting a president elected), but leaving you the same as you were before. Not that all those outcomes aren’t worthy in themselves. But what about you? How would a different mind make a difference?

Above is my favorite expression of the imperative for personal transformation, equal to or better than the words of the wisest masters. It comes from the title of a 1970 Funkadelic album. The album cover is also a favorite.

Free your mind…and your ass will follow. True that.