Hi, I know this is a long one but for all
of us going through transformation and experiencing the changes (or the
incubation) I thing this is a wonderful enlightening story.
Butterfly
Effect: The Symbol of the Butterfly
By Linda-Ann Stewart
When we talk about
transformation, the image that comes to mind for most of us is the butterfly.
A beautiful, filmy
creature that glides about the sky, bringing joy to our hearts.
But we tend to forget
what the butterfly has gone through, how it has struggled to reach its place on
the breeze and how it was effected.
Our path of
transformation can be likened to that of the butterfly's.
Generally, when we
embrace transformation, we only want to think of the end result.
We don't want to think
about the work that goes into it, or the sacrifices we'll have to make to be
able to soar.
I know that when I
went through a transformation some years ago, I thought "Wonderful. Things
will be better."
They were, but in the
process there were attitudes and behaviors I had to surrender that were central
to my life.
Transformation begins
with the Universe pressing us forward into desiring something better for
ourselves.
We may not know what
it is that we want, just that we have this impulsion for something more.
Originally, the
butterfly was once a caterpillar, inching across the grass to climb up the
marigold to reach its daily meal.
Its main drive was to
eat, to fill its stomach.
The same could be said
of us. Before we begin to transform, we have a compulsion to meander around;
reading books,
listening to tapes, attending lectures, digesting information.
We're still in the old
form, fattening our minds up to get ready to build a cocoon,
where we'll use all
that we've digested to transform our lives into a greater reflection of the
Universal good.
Once our appetite has
been appeased, we'll feel compelled to allow what we've learned to gestate.
Letting it process is
like the caterpillar inside its cocoon. This is the time to incubate.
It may last for a few
days or a few months. While it is happening, we're changing.
We may not see the
change, but there are parts of us that are being released, transformed and
altered.
At this point, our
lives will sometimes become very uncomfortable for us.
During my
transformation, I had an intimate relationship that got progressively
difficult.
When its
transformation is complete, the butterfly emerges from its cocoon.
Fighting its way out
of the old form, through a tough silk shell, moving on, into a new world.
Just as we must
struggle to move through our barriers and outmoded attitudes.
Behaviors that served
us when we were caterpillars are no longer helpful.
We can't live the way
we used to. We're transcending the old patterns.
But since they were
familiar, and successful in our old form, we resist discarding them.
I eventually had to
release beliefs that were no longer in my best interest.
No longer could I play
a role that I had outgrown.
The relationship came to
an end.
It was very painful to
let go, and very scary to change the role.
My whole life had
changed.
As we emerge from our
cocoon, we take time to adjust to our new circumstances.
Things are different,
and we have to learn how to handle our new selves.
We act in new ways.
The things we say are surprising to others, because it's not what they're
familiar with.
People respond to us
in a manner in which we're not used to.
Because of my new
attitudes, I lost some friends who couldn't adjust to the shift.
And I made new
friends who were walking the same path I was.
Eventually, the effect
of the butterfly's journey allows it to climb free and rest.
Spreading its wings
for the first time, energy flows through them and they expand, finally ready to
carry the butterfly on the breeze.
Soon we feel confident
with our new self, and like the butterfly, we fly free, a living jewel
fluttering about the skies in the great expanse.
Wishing you an incubation or emerging week –
in whichever state you are in
Hugs and Love
Michele
