“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” ~Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou is one of my favorite authors. I try not to miss an opportunity to hear her speak. Her words are always inspiring. The above quote struck a chord with me, because it says so much about how we observe or fail to do so. When you see a butterfly you can’t help but notice how pretty and delicate it is, flitting around daintily. It is only when we reflect on the changes it endures to get to that point that we see it’s strength. Then it’s beauty takes on meaning, it becomes vivid and we realize that the butterfly deserves every minute of whimsical flight and every delicious flower.
When we see the success of others, we never know what struggles they may have endured to reach their current moment. Instead of envy, we should allow ourselves to be filled with appreciation. So easily, envy can distort our perception, resulting in our missing out on the life lessons that could benefit us in our own journey. Even worse, we could be overtaken by despair, believing that good things only happen to other people.
Even if at this very moment our life is not what we dreamed it would be, what we learn from the butterfly is that change is possible. Each day, whether intentionally or unintentionally, we are cultivating our own spirits, defining our own beauty and cutting our own paths. We can choose to developing or neglect our unique gifts. We may very will be in our own cocoon, waiting for that final transformation, but it is up to us what we will become.
Have a beautiful weekend, everyone!
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