The Butterfly Excursion

A naive caterpillar views butterflies soaring above with disdain; oblivious to the truth that becoming a butterfly is also her destiny. A discerning caterpillar relishes incubation and is intently focused on absorbing the wisdom, soaking up the divine guidance, storing up the sacred courage that is activated and kicked into high gear when convinced that the inner splendor in its midst has been given permission to soar.                                                          

- Michelle Hollinger

When women submit to a tattoo artist’s ink, a butterfly is frequently the preferred image; and with good reason: the life of a butterfly holds remarkable parallels to a woman’s evolution.

The caterpillar’s emergence from its cocoon, where internally, significant work takes place in preparation for its ascent into the winged life of the majestic butterfly, is a powerful metaphor for the woman who understands the adage, “as within, so without.”

The butterfly parallel resonates because it is steeped in our innate longing to emerge as the woman we are here to become. It intrigues because life is about evolving and we assume that our ascension to the level where our best self hangs out is a given; that we will begin to click on all cylinders – fully immersed in our calling, enjoying the abundance that flows easily from sharing our passion, engaging in harmonious relationships with parents, children and with a soul mate also living their truth; standing serenely in our authenticity – our “yeses” meaning yes and our “nos” no; owning our voice, speaking up courageously, demonstrating to others how we are to be treated by loving ourselves deeply and honoring ourselves unapologetically.

The mere passage of time does not ensure ascension. What happens during the passage of time determines whether we decide, once and for all, to grab that elusive aspiration because we deserve to know, in this lifetime, what it feels like to finally achieve a cherished goal, like releasing the stubborn excess weight, ditching the paycheck to paycheck merry-go-round, or peacefully exiting the outgrown relationship.

If the passage of time involves shutting off the external noise and listening to our own voice, we could arrive at the unmistakable truth that it’s up to us and only us to transition from what feels safe to what is true.

If the passage of time includes getting to know who we really are, then we’ll invest time enough with our inner splendor to know that allowing it to linger in what is essentially confined space can kill us because it doesn’t belong there – it’s supposed to be expressed, its wings are meant to expand.

If the passage of time involves connecting with the goddess within, even the pristine among us may passionately whisper, mostly to ourselves, “fuck the comfort zone,” it’s time to step boldly into MY zone – the zone that has my name on it and frees me to dance for no reason and sing on key or off as though no one is listening.

If the passage of time involves deep, inner excursions, comparisons will end as the delicious uniqueness of our path reaches up and clutches our heart, refusing to let go until we surrender to its beauty; and we not only refuse to covet someone else’s journey, we finally comprehend that everything – every single thing - our childhood experiences,  our families of origin and choice; our detours and joys and passions and flaws and assets are parts of OUR unique puzzle that fit perfectly when we embrace them as divine fuel for manifesting OUR authentic life. 

If, after passage of its cocooned time, a caterpillar has completed the internal work and is ready to emerge, but doesn’t, it will cease to exist because it did not ascend to its reason for existing. It dies a natural death and is eaten by other insects and small animals in the great circle of life. 

If, during her passage of time, a woman does not engage her inner splendor, if she does not become an archeologist in her own life, if she doesn’t use her time to turn inward to the innate courage and power poised to leap with her into her reason for existence, she, too, dies a natural death.

Although the date of her burial may be in the distant future – she is essentially among the walking dead; those people who continue to move and breathe but no longer exist because stepping fully into their existence took a back seat to fear, others’ opinions,  an addiction to  "coulda, woulda, shouldas" and a flat out refusal to soar. 

Your Thoughts Are Calling!

Chaos and confrontation have become celebrated forms of entertainment. Spreading gossip under the guise of celebrity reporting is an accepted part of our daily existence, and the more ratchet the reality show, the higher the ratings.

Social media’s benign seduction lulls people into devoting exorbitant amounts of time to posting, sharing, liking and tweeting; providing a false sense of connection and pseudo-validation to folk genuinely craving something more.

There’s a twisted type of irony at play when parents post pictures of themselves at dinner with their children and then spend half the dinner responding to strangers who praise them for spending time with their children. Families’ already tenuous connections have fallen prey to social media’s lure.

Also, the rampant preoccupation with seeking others’ approval and staying atop trending topics means that the inward focus necessary for bringing our own dreams and goals to reality is knocked off course.  

Viewing faithfully and posting incessantly feels harmless, but these are not victimless spectator sports. The biggest victim is the person who cannot hear the call of her own thoughts because they are drowned out by the thoughts of others. 

And while watching occasionally could be considered a "guilty pleasure," the danger arrives when the pleasure becomes guilty of subtly distracting women from becoming who they are here to become and doing what they are here to do. 

Here’s the thing, the noisier our external world becomes, the more imperative it is to embrace inward silence. Personal growth, spiritual development and moving forward along our uniquely defined paths are all aspects of an inside-out process. 

Meditation, the practice of sitting alone quietly, going within and connecting with that part of us that reveals to us who we are, what we’re here to do and how to make it happen, is an extremely powerful, increasingly important part of a well-lived life. 

Interested in learning to meditate? Join Michelle Hollinger, host of The Sisterhood Exchange radio show, which airs Wednesdays at 8:30pm, for The Butterfly Excursion - a 6-week journey that will teach you to meditate in a way that suits your personality, show you how to dissolve the fear that is blocking your progress, guide you on how to create a vision board to expedite the achievement of your goals; and so much more.