The truck stopped on the street and the handlers gently let a little pony out of the trailer in back. As the pony stood by obediently, clearly used to the process, the handlers decked it out with a red and gold robe around its neck and a beautiful gold band encircling its head. The center of the band boasted a single shiny horn. Presto! The pony became a unicorn and someone’s birthday party became one that they would long remember.

It took about 10 minutes to elevate a pony to the ranks of unicorn. But for us, mere mortals all, transformation is neither simple nor straightforward.

Not all of us want a full scale transformation, I know, but most of us want to make a change in some meaningful way, to go from one thing to another, to shift a behavior or a habit. Many want to change the way we look or the work we do or even the way we approach the world. Transformations big and small, often with “if only” attached to them.

One of my favorite ways to lose myself for a few minutes (or more!) is scrolling on Instagram. I am captivated, every time, by the many makeup artists who create dramatic before and after results, on themselves or on others. How amazing it is to see how a few products and some knowledgeable brush strokes produces someone brighter, fresher, younger and more ready to successfully face the world.

We all know that changing our hair or refreshing our makeup will not transform our lives but I think it symbolizes how much we crave the ability to change, to switch directions, to shift.

The new year brings with it lots of commitments to change. This year I will . . . And, as we all know, those earnest words rarely result in meaningful change. If we truly want to change, if we truly want to transform, we have to acknowledge that it requires effort and self-discipline. It requires us to make different choices, act in different ways and find both inner strength and conviction.

If we define why this transformation matters to us and what our ultimate goal is, we can begin to determine the steps that we will need to take. Real change is not a two minute video on Instagram. Real change is work and courage and understanding that it is not a linear process. Change is challenging but not impossible. We can achieve it, we can choose our unique path for growth, we can continue to channel our energies to fill our full hearts.