Real transformation, unfortunately, often only happens through change or challenge. Perhaps nothing depicts the magic of transformation like a caterpillar into a butterfly, so there are some lessons we can learn from that time in the cocoon.
Transcript
This one goes out to my friends in the resilience book club.
A boy looked out his window and noticed a caterpillar’s cocoon hanging on a leaf outside. He was very excited, so, every day, he’d go check on the cocoon. It hadn’t moved yet until one day, he saw what looked like just the beginning of a crack in the cocoon. This was it; it’s starting!
A couple days later, he noticed maybe a little movement inside the cocoon – but the hole wasn’t getting much bigger. Surely a leg should be poking out by now?
The boy started getting concerned and impatient and wanted to help, so he took out his pocket knife to make the hole just a little bigger; being sooooo very careful not to hurt whatever was inside.
A couple days went by with no real change … so the boy took out his knife and made the hole just a little bit bigger.
A few more days went by, so he took out his knife made the hole a little bigger.
At that moment, it started moving and wiggling, “Ohh my gosh, ohh my gosh, this was it!” — and a pile of goo fell out. It wasn’t a caterpillar anymore, but it wasn’t a butterfly either.
It turns out that caterpillars need the resistance of the cocoon. The cocoon ensures it stays in until it is fully formed and the push/pull struggling is what actually strengthens the structure of the caterpillar’s wings. Without weeks and weeks of resistance and hardship inside the cocoon, the wings don’t become viable and the caterpillar never truly transforms.
Reading a book right now that explains that transformation almost inevitably requires real struggle.
- Maybe we are comfortable (or timid) where we are
- Maybe we lack the imagination of what is possible
- Maybe a change or challenge wasn’t our choice
For myriad reasons we stay put until challenge or change happens. The trick is to look past the current circumstance and embrace the struggle – the military calls this “Embrace the suck” – because transformation only happens through the struggle.
So, the next time that you’re in a dark spot and you are struggling, let me tell you what the caterpillar wishes it could hear … “You’re not gonna believe what the new you looks like when you get through this. Right now, this, is tough, but I promise that you have something to look forward to after that’ll make it worth it.”
See you next Monday
Jason Buffington .com 
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