Flit Through Change Like the Butterfly

By Mary Ann Faremouth, CPC

Butterflies are masters of change. Their life cycle — egg to caterpillar, to chrysalis, to winged adult — is inspiring, reminding us of nature’s promise that while change isn’t always easy, the result can be more beautiful and astounding than what we started with. For the butterfly, such magnificent transformations require shedding old forms. For humans, this can be equated to shedding old patterns that no longer serve us. When we do, we become better versions of ourselves and enjoy newfound growth and more meaningful experiences.

The various restrictions on our personal and professional lives these past few years may have forced many of us to undergo changes we may not have felt prepared to handle. Yet like the butterfly, we can take advantage of the resources available to us in our current stages of life as we seek the right tools to help us through the essential transformations we need to progress. Let’s take a look at some of the correlations and lessons the butterfly may offer to give us hope and determination in moving forward.

1. Change Is the Only Constant.

With its four-stage life cycle, the butterfly knows only change. It goes through multiple transformations, never knowing what each will bring, before eventually becoming something magnificent and beautiful. Similarly, no stage of a human life is ever permanent. When things occur that are out of our control, we must weather the storm by maintaining positive mindsets, reflecting on our capabilities and desires, contributing to the good of others as well as ourselves, and trusting that things will get better and we will have grown.

2. Break Down to Break Through.

During the chrysalis stage of a butterfly’s life cycle, the caterpillar’s body breaks down at the cellular level. The old form no longer serves it, and it must let go and become a new version of itself. In our own endeavors, we must step out of our comfort zones to move on to uncharted territory. We can achieve expansive growth in many areas only by stretching ourselves to learn new skills and building up our personal and professional platforms.

3. Perseverance Is the Key to Flight

Once the caterpillar has done all its work inside the cocoon, it is ready to re-enter the world. The process of unfolding, stretching, and flapping its wings is entirely new, and it might not be able to fly right away. However, after falling a few times and bumping into a few walls, the butterfly finds its balance and learns how to fly. Similarly, if we have lost our way in our own flight patterns, whether dealing with the empty-nest syndrome, our jobs, encountering rejection letters, or having our résumés passed over, we must persevere so we can learn to fly successfully with our own new wings of growth.