Growth is a beautiful, and necessary, part of life! But growth is also painful. It is easy to fantasize about the future while overlooking all of the work, struggle and obstacles you will have to overcome. Because life is constantly changing, we are constantly being asked to adjust.
Why Growing Pains
Even when change is a positive thing, we still experience growing pains. It is difficult going out of our comfort zone and changing the habits we have developed. But, that does not mean the growth should not happen! Beautiful and wonderful things happen outside of our comfort zone!
When I began to think of change, I immediately thought of a caterpillar growing into a butterfly. After some reflection of this beautiful creature, I realized there were so many lessons from the caterpillar’s journey to a butterfly we could learn from! Here are the five lessons from caterpillars I found helpful for our own growth.
1 | Nourishment for growth
Did you know that caterpillars eat almost non stop when they are born? They are fueling their body for what is about to happen! Filling themselves with the nourishment they need for the journey ahead. We need to nourish ourselves for growth before the transition too! But how? By surrounding ourselves with what allows and encourages us to grow and flourish. This means taking care of yourself! Making sure you are staying hydrated, getting enough sleep, as well as practicing self-care and gratitude are all ways to nourish yourself for positive growth. The book Healing The Child Within: Discovery and Recovery for Adult Children of Dysfunctional Families
2 | Safe Space
After fueling up, the caterpillar finds a safe and sheltered spot for the transformation. They search for a safe space away from predators and harsh conditions to form their cocoon where the journey will take place. We must do the same with ourselves. Finding a safe place means both your physical space and emotional wellbeing. This calls for some evaluation of ourselves… How does your physical space look? The connections between our mental health and cleanliness of space are too strong to ignore. You can even make a self-care kit to create a calming space for yourself. How are your relationships? Reflect on how you feel with certain people. Do you find yourself being a people pleaser to others or being excited to see them? Is your social media toxic or inspirational? Evaluate your space and what is serving you for growth and what is holding you back.
3 | Everything We Need Is Inside of Us
When caterpillars are inside of their hard shell, their bodies are completely transformed. I always knew this, but recently I found out that their bodies change into 100% liquid form. The body is broken down entirely and then rebuilt into something new. Their body is recycled. I found this part of the process beautiful for the fact that everything the caterpillar needs to become a butterfly is already inside of itself! Too often when we are trying to have a positive change in our lives we feel that we are not enough and are not capable of becoming the person we envision ourselves becoming. We are not giving ourselves enough credit! Even when looking at the caterpillar and butterfly side by side it is hard to imagine that the caterpillar has everything to be a butterfly- but it is true. When going through changes we must remember that we are more than enough and have everything we need inside of ourselves.
4 | Cannot Tell From the Outside
When a caterpillar is hanging from the leaf in its safe space, the transformation taking place on the inside is invisible to us. The same is true for our change. We will be working so hard on ourselves, but others will not be able to see everything that is happening. The caterpillar is not bothered by those walking by not noticing the change it is working on, the caterpillar is just focused on itself. This is because the journey is not for those to watch, it is for the caterpillar to experience. Our journey of growth is for ourselves to feel and experience, not for others to watch.
5 | Still Need to Find our Way
I always picture a butterfly flying out of its cocoon with such grace- floating towards the sunlight and above beautiful flowers! That is not what actually happens. When the butterfly emerges, its wings are still soft and still do not have all of the blood circulating. The butterfly needs to rest and learn a little before being able to fly off. We are no different! It is too easy to think that after the emotional growth we now know everything and are a new person. While we have grown a lot, we still need to learn and practice this growth. We need to work on keeping these positive habits we have developed!
Be the Butterfly
If there is one thing constant in life, it is change. Everything is temporary including where we are in life, which is why we have to continuously grow. By being aware of and tracking our habits, and staying motivated we can follow the caterpillar’s example into and turn into our own butterfly!
What has helped you in times of change and growth? Please comment below and tell me what you think of the lessons I learned from the caterpillar’s journey and any tips to add! If you know someone who could benefit from this article, please show you care and share the bear! Be sure to sign up for my emails and follow on social media to get the most of the positive world of Brightside Bear!
