WITHOUT CHANGE THERE WOULD BE NO BUTTERFLIES

Jane Dovidio-Gagliardo
How do we stop change… do we even want to? In my lifetime I have welcomed change. I have hated change. I have cried because of it and even laughed about it. And my heart has been broken because of it. Yet it happens. It’s inevitable and doesn’t require our permission. They say change is a part of living. Which means there’s no stopping it. But this last year, change has happened all around us and to us. To no avail, it was forced on us by a worldwide pandemic of epic proportions. All around the world we have watched the demise of what we called normal go away and now the uncertainty of what the new normal will look like is quietly approaching. But first, we must get through this pandemic. So, what do you suppose after this change, the butterfly will look like? Because there will be a new butterfly.
I’m putting this out into the universe with the hope that this change we have all gone through together will manifest a better life for us all. I believe the new butterfly will look like acceptance. Yes, we have learned to accept a new existence and, like it or not, to accept what and who our neighbors are. And we choose to accept them as they are or, at least, allow our loving hearts to say hello before walking into the house. The new butterfly will laugh. It will laugh from the bottom of its’ belly until tears of joy slowly drip from its eyes. The new butterfly will love. It will love from the deepest part of its’ heart and soul and spread that love until it becomes infectious. The new butterfly will not judge. It will accept people for who they are and choose to welcome them into its circle or just love them from a distance. The new butterfly will enjoy the wonders of life. It will enjoy the simplest things as it passes through. The new butterfly will embrace life. It will be willing to seek change and not fight it. The new butterfly will seek knowledge. It will open its’ mind to learning new things… no matter how young or old it is. The new butterfly will learn to live with what it needs and not what it wants.
If this past year has taught us anything, it’s how quickly change can happen and the good that change provides us with the ability to be a part of. The new butterfly has learned to love its’ God and remain spiritually connected, maintain believe in itself and just be in nature as it is. The new butterfly will be calm and continuously gravitate toward peace and unity. It has learned to be still and silent without fear of its own thoughts or feelings. The new butterfly will be giving, kind and compassionate. And even though it may only have a little, it will share it’s little with others. The new butterfly will intuitively walk and even soar beside its’ brothers and sister as one body of loving beings humbly working in unity with change for the greater good of all life. So what will your new butterfly look like? Because we know a butterfly does not start out as a butterfly, we will engage in the process of slowly growing as we work to become our best and highest self. Take a moment and think long and hard about what your new butterfly will look like. In the process, keep in mind that “change” is a gradual process that does not submit or surrender to the quick, fast, and now process.
The good part about change is that you have the power to create it. Now is your chance to be a part of this glorious new era of change. Now is your chance to become the butterfly you are destined to become. Get ready. Come out of your cocoon and be the beautiful, magnificent and grateful soul you are.
I leave you with this quote: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” (Lao Tzu) Stay Safe. Stay Strong. Stay Fearless.
