The life of the caterpillar is a captivating and fascinating one. The lessons in its transformation to a butterfly, is one that can be emulated in our journey in life.
Here are 7 lessons humans can glean from the metamorphosis of the caterpillar to a butterfly :
1. Caterpillars don’t announce their transformation, they just do it. A lot of people make big announcements about their plans but they end up not making progress on their plans. Talking about your plans and goals doesn’t guarantee success if you don’t get up and act. The caterpillar needs about 7 to 14 days to change into a butterfly but no-one ever knows its plans. It’s time to stop talking about your goals, dreams and plans. It’s time to act it.
2. Caterpillars are focused on its change and the new life it is about to step into. Through the process of change, there is nothing happening in the life of the caterpillar except the transformation. It is focused on its change and the new life he is about to step into. The key word here is focus. When you are pursuing or working on something big or critical to your existence, make it the main cause, your major focus.
Caterpillars eat a lot but during the transformation, it sacrifices its food few days before the change occurs. It gives up food which is the most important thing in its life in order to make the transformation possible. You must be willing to sacrifice your comfort for you to achieve something better than what you have. Change is usually uncomfortable and it takes away the life we are used to so as to birth something better.
3. For it to turn into a butterfly, it must be upside down. To make a significant change in your life, you must flip the script by doing things differently. You need some level of discomfort in the process which may come in different ways. Some people started their own business when there was a major disruption in their lives. The disruptions in your life will pave ways for new chapters and experiences.
4. Caterpillars are not jealous of butterflies because they know that’s their future. It may take a while but it will surely happen. When you see successful people, don’t be envious instead, they should be a reminder of what your future looks like. There is nothing a butterfly can do to stop another caterpillar from becoming a butterfly just like there is nothing a successful person can do to stop you from achieving your goals. Change starts from the inside not the outside.
5. Caterpillars don’t transform at the same age. Some transform at 4weeks, some at 11months etc. We will not all be successful at the same time. Our goals may be the same but we won’t achieve them at the same pace or time. Life journey is an individual race so you don’t need to move at another person’s level or pace. Run your own lane with focus and determination. We will alm get there but not at the same time.
6. We are all butterflies waiting to happen. The ideas, talents and capabilities in us will one day come to life if we keep at it. No stage in our lives lasts forever; the best is always yet to come.
Caterpillars are not sad because they are not butterflies yet, they don’t live their lives complaining, and they enjoy their ‘Caterpillarness‘.
You might not be where you want to be yet, enjoy every stage of your life and live it to the fullest. Don’t be hard on yourself because you are not there yet, remember, caterpillars know one day, they will be butterflies.
7. When you see a butterfly in its beauty, you don’t see the process it went through to become a butterfly. In the same way when someone is successful, you don’t see the hard work and sweats, sleepless and late nights, struggle, process and pains that gave birth to success, you only see the end results so if you crave the success; cars, houses, positions etc you better crave the hard work and struggles that comes with it.
Richard Bach said “What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly.”
Remember, when you are about to give up, that is when you enter the beautiful moment of your life. Your butterfly days are coming.
Written by Olufunke Aderogba
