Dethroning the King of the Caterpillars

I, like many people, derive heaps of inspiration from nature, especially the whole caterpillar to butterfly example which I am convinced was designed as a beautiful metaphor to encourage us to hang on, not give up, and hope and EXPECT to be and experience the very best, most glorious and unlimited life possible.

I will touch on the caterpillar->butterfly goop soup metamorphosis process tomorrow, but for now I want to mention a sweet little epiphany I had about the experience of being a caterpillar.

While in the caterpillar phase of life, we all do our very best.  We strive to be the most successful, attractive, kind, lovable and useful caterpillars we can be.  We even dream about life at the uppermost echelon of society.... oh to be the king of the caterpillars.

We engage in all sorts of worthwhile and laudable activities in order to lead a life of purpose and service, while pursuing happiness.  We show up for work everyday... we try to forgive (or at least not flip off) the driver who just cut us off causing us to slam on our brakes and splash our coffee all over our new designer duds.... we fight the urge to cash in our 'dysfunctional' family during the holidays in favor of being with the friends we call family ..... we pay our taxes, send birthday wishes and bake cupcakes for the fundraiser.
Wow.... we're busy! .... and doing such selfless good things to bless the caterpillars around us.

The problem we run into is when we STOP there...
because.....
the truth is.....
we are not meant to live our lives as cute little caterpillars at all....
we are meant to become magnificent butterflies.

We are not meant to plod inch by inch on our tummies in the dirt to get where we are going... we are meant to flutter over the meadows in an effortless dance on the breeze.

It is time for each of us to recognize, embrace and surrender to the exquisite butterfly within.... for that is who we truly are.

with flutters of joy...
xoxo

Pulling No Punches

Happy Boxing Day!
This UK-based holiday, traditionally recognized as a day to give a Christmas box of goodies to tradesmen, has become a symbol for many things:

• for giving to the poor
• for banks to close their doors 
• for churches to collect and dispense alms
• even boxing up leftovers to share with others
• and boxing up things that are no longer needed in order to give them to charity in the spirit of end-of-the-year clean-out

What a wonderful metaphor Boxing Day provides, not only for sharing our abundance, but dispensing with that which no longer serves or benefits us.  The same can be done with what we have been storing in our hearts and minds.

What ideas and attitudes are we holding onto that no longer fit us?

What emotional hurts are we clinging to, though doing so does us absolutely no good?

What unhealthy, dismal views of ourselves are we mesmerized by and buying hook, line and sinker even though those closest to us tell us we are flat out wrong?

My new Boxing Day tradition - starting today - is to give the old one-two punch to all the nonsense that tries to pose as my life and identity.  I am not just a list of statistics!  Nor am I merely a chronicle of past activities, successes and so-called failures or mistakes.  I am a person with a purpose and great capacity for love and joy.  And I am determined to k.o. anything that tries to suggest otherwise!

So watch out Grinch-like thinking... you're goin' down for the count!

putting on the gloves... with joy xo