Observing the process of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly showed that transformation is hard work and that breakthroughs are not easy, yet for the true being to unfold, the only way is to keep going through it.
Have you ever felt stuck in the same pattern, being aware of it, yet unable to change or breakthrough?
That was exactly the state I had been going through for some weeks. I felt confronted with many old programs, related to work, related to social life - feeling constantly out of place basically wherever I was - which more than once made me wonder if anything would ever change.
So here I was on my balcony reflecting on this when my eyes caught sight of a caterpillar crawling around on one of our plants. There were actually several of those, and all they seemed to be doing I observed was eating, pooping, and sleeping. Simple life with no seemingly big problems I thought…
Then, at a certain point, it seemed they knew the time had come for something different. They left the plants behind and crawled around till they found a place to stay, or rather hang, head pointing down. Within shortly, they became stiff, a green shell started to surround their bodies, and they entered into their cocoon. I couldn’t imagine what a feeling it must be, hanging there, in this vulnerable, helpless state, having no clue what was happening to them, just following some inner knowing that this is what has to happen. I felt for them, sharing this feeling of hanging in the air, feeling vulnerable, and not seeing where things were going…
Assuming after a few days the transformation would happen, I was surprised to witness that it took more than 2 weeks in the cocoon before they again emerged out of it.
A great reflection of how intense transformation really is, and that despite the support of friends, family, coaches and therapists around us, we are in it on our own essentially; and usually it takes longer than our mind believes it should.
But here they were now, emerging out of the cocoon, slowly, cracking that shell open, crawling out, testing their new wings, getting used to this new shape… completely transformed, unrecognisable to what they'd been before… it took them a few hours to get used to their shape, and understand how these new wings work, and then they flew off. Off into their new life, now flying, dancing in the space, full of colour.
Witnessing this process outside, I gained some confidence to trust it on the inside and keep going. Seeing clearly, that processes of growth are hard, and require us to both persist and surrender to it, but it’s so worth it in the end.
We hope this story inspires you and reminds you to look at nature for guidance wherever you are in your own process.