Upside Down is the New Metamorphosis.

Feb 19

Lessons Learned From a Tiny Creature with a Two-Week Lifespan.

As it turns out, there’s a whole lot of mysterious wisdom taught by nature.

Take, for instance, the butterfly. Now, it’s commonly understood that this breathlessly beautiful creature has its humble beginnings in a homespun silky wrap that could rival the finest fashion wear. What might surprise you, however, is how many lessons this tiny creature, whose average life span is two weeks, can teach you about enduring life’s most difficult transitions.

Here are three lessons that could prove mighty useful the next time you find yourself smack dab in the middle of one of life’s twists and turns.

Lesson One: Did you know that the caterpillar’s mama picks a host plant that will provide complete nourishment for its entire pre-butterfly life? My take on how that translates for humans is this: Trust that life provides you with the exact nutrition you need to become your best self.
Lesson Two: Once that couture little caterpillar suit is cozy and comfy, the larva starts getting bigger. Its outer skin, known as an exoskeleton, accommodates this growth by splitting and disintegrating when it gets too tight. The greater wisdom here? Understand the necessity of shedding your outgrown life when you’re stepping into new ways of being. This means that old, familiar comfort zone becomes a thing of the past. And how do you replace that well-known source of comfort? Spoiler alert: cue up for the next lesson!
Lesson Three: Okay, fasten your seat belts for this one. Are you ready for this? Once the caterpillar gets the miraculous instinct that it’s finally time to emerge from the cocoon's dark, wet, snug environment, it makes its way out. And get this: it hangs upside down! That’s right, that brand-new baby butterfly has to hang inverted from a branch in order to dry its wings out. So what does that mean for you? Be willing to let life get topsy-turvy. And when it’s finally time to emerge from your outgrown life, open those gorgeous new wings of yours and take flight.