The metaphor of the butterfly for transformation is profound:
1. The caterpillar that is kind banal
looking becomes the beautiful, radiant butterfly.
2. Before the caterpillar becomes a
butterfly, it prepares its cocoon as though it were dying. What the
caterpillar thinks is the end of its life is really the beginning.
3. The caterpillar knows intuitively
and in alignment with nature when it is time to start spinning its bed to sleep
in. You do not see other caterpillars walking over, tapping them on the
shoulder saying, "it is time," "you are ready." It is intuitive. Change
is intuitive. So many people are waiting for permission to go for their
dreams. Someone to validate them, tell them they could do it. However,
the path is clearest when the knowing is intuitive and irrespective of what
others are say.
5. The caterpillar does not go inside
the cocoon and unzip its caterpillar suit for a butterfly suit. He
becomes a big puddle of liquid that some affectionately refer to as a digestive
soup. This liquid chooses parts of the caterpillar to hold onto and kills
of the rest. It then creates new butterfly tissue.
6. The butterfly then has to fight, and
fight hard, to get himself out of the chrysalis. Moreover, if someone tries to
help the butterfly out, it dies. It is the process of working to get out that
gives it the strength and development time that it needs to actually survive. What a powerful metaphor!
7. Then the butterfly is ready to learn
to walk, and then fly.
Where are you in your life? Are you a butterfly,
soaring, enjoying your elegant manifestation? Are you a caterpillar
getting the message that it is time to transition–time to do something
different? Are you lying in a puddle of what once was you and what may be
the future you? Are you sitting around and waiting for someone to give you
permission or affirmation of your next step on your path? Are you looking
at what would need to happen to take to get you out of your shell and coding it
“hard work” which makes you disinclined to act on it? Alternatively, are
you seeing the obstacles as learning experiences–pathways to your own inner
strength and mastery?
Rachel Lavern
