HIGHLIGHT FOR THE MONTH!

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

A Journey of a Million Miles: Being in Harmony with the Flow of Life


Butterflies are one of my favorite creatures. Maybe it is due to the butterfly decal my Mom had on in the rear window of our 1970’s Ford Station Wagon. Butterflies seem to appear out of nowhere, when in fact, there is a process to them sprouting those beautiful wings, similar to the Life of a human being.

We all have a time where we will sprout wings. Metaphorically speaking, it comes at different times for everyone. The transformation from caterpillar to butterfly occurs without struggle or strain; it is just a part of the cycle of the caterpillar to butterfly. There are over 160,000 types of butterflies in the world, just as there are differences in people. From the beginning a caterpillar is a voracious eater consuming food, just like in the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar. In the next phase, it ceases to consume food and goes into a “mummy-like” state. Some caterpillars go into this phase by covering themselves with a cocoon, hiding in dirt, or simply suspend themselves from trees using a silk pad attached to a tree. Whatever way they choose, the caterpillar goes into a world of its own until it is time for it to emerge. When the butterfly emerges from the cocoon it is unrecognizable, the creature that once was no longer exists.

The life of a caterpillar is not unlike the life of a human. At the beginning of life, we take in everything from food to noises to faces. At some point, there we break away and begin creating our own cocoon. It could be the cocoon of our friends, family, neighborhood, college, trade school, or job that serves to give us what we want. What happens in that cocoon can dictate our characteristics when we emerge, if we emerge at all. If the cocoon is too tight, gets damaged, or there is an accident the contents may be skewed, missing necessary elements, or not see the light of day. The cocoon is there to serve as a place for growth and development of the things necessary to survive in the next phase. When the butterfly becomes visible, they are miraculous.

Once the butterfly appears it instinctively goes on its way. Some butterflies are great navigators, flying 1800 miles to their Fall destination and meet up with others, while some stick around pollinating the plants. No matter what, each type does its job without fuss, fight, or complaint because it is in harmony with Life. Having harmony means your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings are in agreement. Harmony is not elusive; you can create harmony with these four ingredients:
1. Focus on Your Goal
2. Be Aware of What and Who Surrounds You
3. Put Your Feelings in Check
4. Fly, Fly, Fly

The next thing you know you will be in the flow of Life, your wings will appear.

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