Butterflies: Proof of change for good

Change doesn’t happen comfortably. 

Just when the caterpillar’s world was ending, it became a butterfly. The extenuating circumstances you are in right now are also a new beginning.

Uncertainty. Isolation. Fear. Instability. Change. Transformation. Transcendence. Each has an affect on mental health, for better or worse. Each is an opportunity for greater compassion.

Your everyday life looks distinctly different than it did a few months ago.

Whether you’ve been on lockdown, protesting with Black Lives Matter, or struggling to keep a roof over your head or business – this is a time of unprecedented and profound change. 

You’re experiencing change in how you socialize, work, educate, love, heal, and relate to the world. 

It’s unfamiliar, uncomfortable, and uncertain.

Traumas are triggered. Self preservation is awakened. The status quo is upended. Emotions are charged. 

Behaviors become reactionary. Senses and emotions are heightened. Beliefs crystalize and seem unbreakable. 

A pervasive unease inherent in change jolts the status quo from its slumber – internally, locally, and globally. 

Remember, grapes are crushed to make wine. Diamonds form under pressure. Seeds germinate in darkness.

So, how are you coping with the uncertainty of change? – in your community, on the planet, or intrinsically? Will you trust the process? 

If nothing ever changed, there’d be no butterflies.

If you’re wondering how to approach your own (and society’s) transformation:

1. Notice the part of you that is uncomfortable, angry, or lost.

Turn toward it and be curious about how it can inform you of your values and needs. Soothe that part. Approach your own transformation with openness and compassion. 

2. It’s okay to feel what you feel.

Before acting on your feelings, label them. Name the feeling and the thought. Is it connected to a story or narrative? Name the story. Now you’re engaging your prefrontal cortex (observing mind) and can choose your next steps. Ask yourself, “Does this help or hurt my end goal?”. 

3. Get out of your thoughts and into the moment.

Stretch your body, zoom with a friend, take a walk. Notice each of your five senses individually. What do you hear, see, taste, smell, and touch? Savor the present.

Get comfortable with the uncomfortable.

Being attuned to, and gentle with, your feelings creates psychological flexibility. It’s the definition of mental health and wellness. Growth and transformation command it. Without caterpillars turning into butterflies, who would pollinate plants, predict a healthy ecosystem, and beautify our environment the way they do?

Welcome change. “Change is the only constant in life.” – Heraclitus