I was sitting on my back deck the other morning having coffee, enjoying the soft morning sun ๐, when a beautiful butterfly caught my eye. He was floating gracefully among the flowers and shrubs, his vibrant wings fluttering gently as he moved from bloom to bloom. ๐ธ
Hard to believe this majestic creature began his life on earth as a humble - and dare I say lowly - caterpillar, I thought to myself.
Never really having pondered how the change occurred - and maybe perhaps it was just a tiny bit in procrastination of the mountain of laundry and housecleaning waiting for me - I was suddenly intensely curious and wanted to learn more. ๐ค
With my phone conveniently next to me (let's face it, when is it not?), I google searched it. As I read about the caterpillar's journey to becoming a butterfly, I was completely in awe of how incredible the process actually is.
Two things in particular really stood out for me.
The first was that the caterpillar grows so much during this phase, that it goes through a series of four to five skin sheds - releasing the skin when it's too tight so as to allow new, larger skin to grow in.
The second thing was, when it moves into the chrysalis for it's transition, the caterpillar essentially dissolves to then rebuild itself and emerge as the majestic butterfly!
What a remarkable story of growth, change and transformation! ๐ซ
Unlike humans, they don't overthink their metamorphosis.
Can you imagine a caterpillar resisting change? Digging in it's little heels, refusing to let go of its skin? Or staging a protest: "No way am I checking into some claustrophobic little chrysalis - I'll keep this look, thank you very much!" ๐
No, caterpillars don't resist change. They don't second guess their path, seek to stay in their comfort zone or worry about how it will all come to fruition. Instead, they instinctively move towards becoming better and better versions of themselves.
As humans, we have the same capacity for enormous growth and transformation, and when you think about it, can learn a lot from the caterpillar.
โจ Embrace change: Rather than resisting change, welcome it as a natural part of growth.
โจ Follow your innate wisdom: Harness and cultivate your intuition through your spiritual practice so you can move with faith and confidence towards your highest and best.
โจ Break free from limitations: Let go of limiting thoughts, habits and beliefs that no longer serve you.
โจ Be willing to move outside of your comfort zone: Growth happens when you push beyond the familiar, into new opportunities, experiences and ways of being.
โจ Take things one step at a time: You don't need to know all the steps you need to take towards your goals and dreams now. Take one step at a time, and know the next indicated step will come at exactly the right time.
โจ Trust the process: Know that things are happening, even if you're not seeing immediate results.
If you're in the middle of your own transformation, remember the Universe is always guiding and supporting you to become a richer, fuller version of yourself. Confront your pain and trauma, look at what beliefs you're holding in your subconscious mind, face your hurt, disappointment and anger. Let those things move you to new heights, and like the caterpillar, you will emerge a more beautiful, powerful, and free version of yourself than you can imagine in this moment. ๐
Five minute fix guided meditation #025: The journey from caterpillar to butterfly, and you ๐ฆ
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