"When a caterpillar begins life in an egg, it looks nothing like what will hatch; and the butterfly seems a far cry from the larva that precedes it. Do caterpillars recognize butterflies as their future selves? Do butterflies identify caterpillars as past relations? The most mysterious phase of this shape-shifting creature's process is that of the chrysalis: the jade-green cocoon in which the crawling, leaf-eating caterpillar transforms into a floating, nectar-drinking butterfly.
In our human lives, we sometimes find ourselves in the chrysalis state. Those times when we do not have a lot to offer the outside world, it is because, whether we realize it or not, much of our energy is consumed with an inner transition. We might feel sluggish or uninterested in what surrounds us. We might feel impatient with ourselves, wondering why we do not have the energy we used to for our usual routines. But if we remember the chrysalis - the dark inner sanctum that provides the environment for a remarkable conversion - we can relax and let ourselves be, finding ways to support our process rather than coaxing ourselves away from it.
If you see a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis, the temptation may be to help it break out. The physical challenge of this part of the process is necessary, though, for the butterfly to build its strength so that it can survive outside. The same is true of us: Sometimes we have to labor on our own to discover the force we need to be our new selves in the world. Similarly, when seeing friends or family members struggling, it is easy to become impatient and want to help with their emergence, but we have to learn to let others make their own way.
Taking on the challenge of liberating ourselves enables us to thrive in our new freedom. Sometimes the greatest support we can offer others and ourselves is patience and quiet confidence in the process unfolding, along with faith that the result will be extraordinary." - Daily OM
In our human lives, we sometimes find ourselves in the chrysalis state. Those times when we do not have a lot to offer the outside world, it is because, whether we realize it or not, much of our energy is consumed with an inner transition. We might feel sluggish or uninterested in what surrounds us. We might feel impatient with ourselves, wondering why we do not have the energy we used to for our usual routines. But if we remember the chrysalis - the dark inner sanctum that provides the environment for a remarkable conversion - we can relax and let ourselves be, finding ways to support our process rather than coaxing ourselves away from it.
If you see a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis, the temptation may be to help it break out. The physical challenge of this part of the process is necessary, though, for the butterfly to build its strength so that it can survive outside. The same is true of us: Sometimes we have to labor on our own to discover the force we need to be our new selves in the world. Similarly, when seeing friends or family members struggling, it is easy to become impatient and want to help with their emergence, but we have to learn to let others make their own way.
Taking on the challenge of liberating ourselves enables us to thrive in our new freedom. Sometimes the greatest support we can offer others and ourselves is patience and quiet confidence in the process unfolding, along with faith that the result will be extraordinary." - Daily OM
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