Necessary Change

Most of us at some point in our lives have either chased butterflies as they came close to us as a child or admired their graceful beauty and seemingly effortless flight. Butterflies are quite an amazing creature and their beauty is one of many reasons to enjoy seeing them. As we know, the life of a butterfly is not always one of splendor and beauty. Before soaring through the air on wind currents, each butterfly must endure a ground existence. Day after day, they navigate through tall grass, brush, climb trees, all while ignoring the sky. You see, there is something inside the caterpillar that keeps them marching, eating and preparing for future greatness. The butterfly knows that the ground existence is only temporary and that their moment in the sun is on the way.

              In order to get from ground level to soaring in the summer breeze, an amazing metamorphosis must occur. When the time is right, the caterpillar realizes that the time for crawling around is over. The tiny creature has enjoyed its fill of grass and leaves as a bottom-feeder and finds an ideal place to begin the change. The caterpillar creates a cocoon and seals itself in from the rest of the world. It is only inside, when fully constrained does the change occur. When it is time to emerge, a new creature comes out and experiences the world for the first time. It was necessary for the transformation to take place in order for the world to marvel at the beauty of the butterfly.

              As positive leaders, there are a few lessons that we observe from the butterfly that may help us through some of the stages and seasons in our own lives. First, we should always keep in mind that any current ground situation is never permanent. Just like the caterpillar, we sometimes have to do a lot of “ground-level” crawling around just to survive. See this time as more than mere survival, it is a time when we should prepare for something greater. Our second lesson is that we instinctively will know when we must undergo necessary change. Life as you view it prior to your transformation suddenly is no longer capable of sustaining you and all that is within you waiting for the right moment to bust and come forth. Lesson number three teaches us that in many instances, we may feel the most constrained just prior to our moment of glory. That is the time when you really discover what you are made of. Doubts and fears may set in when you hear others around you having a ball, yet you remain constrained and bound to wait your turn. How many times have we felt as though we were about to burst while waiting for our big moment to dance in the sunlight? Sometimes, in order to make that next transformational step, one must shut out all of the noise from the world and experience a period of quiet growth.

              Our next lesson teaches us that necessary change allows us to come through the challenging transformation and emerge as a work of wonder and beauty. Initially, the butterfly must still crawl. Even nature has a way of reminding its creatures where they came from before taking flight. We too must hone our skills and allow out wings to dry before taking flight and showing the world all that we are capable of. When our time is right and after we have been transformed, we soar. We glide on the breeze and experience an entirely new existence, just as the butterfly does. Viewing this fantastic being would be impossible without enduring necessary change.

              How does your life compare to the stages that our caterpillar went through on the way to flying and soaring? Are you in a temporary phase of ground existence or are your feeling a bit overly constrained for the moment? Maintain your confidence and your level of positivity while knowing that you are going through necessary change. When you come out, after having experienced transformation, get ready to dazzle the world with your beauty, grace, newly minted skills and all that you have to offer.

              I urge you to be at peace in your current stage and know that your change is on the way. At a point in your journey, you may feel tied-down and constrained, however remain resilient. Your day of glory is on the way. Come forth and leave your mark upon the world as every positive leader should do. Last lesson, the butterfly never even has to make a sound to demonstrate all of the beauty and purpose that was unleashed through necessary change. The caterpillar simply went to work and committed each day towards preparing for the future. The butterfly ignored all of the messages that communicated lack and the inability to fly. Can you say that you have that same level of resolve? Surely you do! Let your positivity compel you to reach higher, destroy challenges and keep you on the path which leads to your positive transformation. The world is waiting to see you explore new boundaries with new capabilities.

Receive my weekly Positive Leader Blog by subscribing at www.infinityleadershipconsulting.org