As I stood in the yard this past Memorial Day, I saw the colorful wings of a butterfly. The sight reminded me of metamorphosis. That beautiful butterfly had been a fuzzy caterpillar, once. That made me think of a story I’d recently heard about metamorphosis and the role it plays in all our lives.
One morning, a man named Joe found a chrysalis. Over the next several days, he kept a close eye on the chrysalis, anticipating what would emerge. Finally, a small opening appeared. The hole grew larger. For hours, Joe sat and watched a butterfly fight to come into the world. He’d expected the creature to emerge triumphantly from its chrysalis, but instead, there seemed to be something wrong with it. It struggled to force its body through the little hole that had been created.
Eventually, the butterfly’s progress seemed to stall. It looked like the butterfly was stuck. Wanting to help, Joe decided he would help free the butterfly. He enlarged the opening with scissors and cut away the remaining chrysalis. The butterfly then emerged easily, but it had a swollen body with small, shriveled wings.
Joe didn’t think anything of it. He waited for the wings to enlarge to support the butterfly. But these changes never happened. The butterfly spent the rest of its life unable to fly, crawling around with tiny wings and a swollen body.
Joe had a kind heart, but he didn’t understand that the restricting chrysalis served a purpose. The butterfly needed to struggle to liberate itself through the small opening. Nature had a way of ensuring the butterfly could fly. Escape forced fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings. This process ensured the butterfly could take flight once it had escaped the cocoon.
You see, true metamorphosis isn’t just about change. It’s about overcoming obstacles in order to change for the better.
For years, I have helped people work towards their life’s grandest goals and fondest dreams. During my career, I’ve noticed something: Those who always seem the happiest, the most satisfied, are the ones who struggled the most to reach their goals. The ones who had to persevere. The ones for whom life was not just a straight road, but a mountain to climb.
Just like the butterfly.
As summer arrives and changes abound, remember the creature’s struggle to change from a crawling caterpillar to a flying butterfly. Everyone encounters struggles in life and emerges from their own chrysalides. Remember that these struggles help us develop our strengths. Without them, we would never grow. We would never get stronger. It’s important to tackle challenges like a butterfly and emerge stronger for the struggle.
If we think like that – if we look at challenges as opportunities – then reaching our goals won’t just be checking items off a list.
It will be a wonderful metamorphosis.