Butterfly Lessons

Here in South Texas we are experiencing an invasion of sorts--butterflies of various kinds have been swarming, floating, alighting and flitting around town over the past couple months. In my view, this is one of the perks of living in Texas: With our warm and mild autumn, San Antonio falls directly in the path of several spectacular migration routes. It's a magical experience to be caught in the eye of a gentle tornado of butterflies. They seem to come in waves--floating in the sky nearly as high as one can see, gently billowed by the wind on their course through the neighborhood. While on my usual walk with the dogs this morning, I believe I saw five different varieties of butterfly. Although I am not an entomologist and I am sometimes unsure about the difference between a moth and a butterfly, I did recognize the much-aligned, snout-nosed butterfly and a monarch fluttering among the oak trees.

Butterflies have a limited life span, some flutter on this planet for only 20-40 days. On my dog-walk this morning, it occurred to me that the butterflies represent opportunity which comes our way at different points in our lives. Often opportunity lies dormant for months or years, coming to fruition behind the scenes or out of view until one day, it bursts forth in a blaze of showy iridescence. Sometimes we are conscious and aware of it's portent arrival on the scene, while other times we are too preoccupied with worry or habits to look up and acknowledge that which is floating right in front of our faces. Some people struggle to take advantage of an opportunity which presents itself to them, while others look in all the wrong places for their opportunity or chance to change their lives.

Some folks are unwilling to put forth energy to seize an opportunity unless it is certain to reap benefits. Remember the "butterfly effect?" This phrase refers to the idea that the flap of a butterfly's wings in, say, San Antonio, creates tiny changes in the atmosphere that ultimately may cause a storm to appear on the opposite side of the world. The flapping wing represents a small change in the initial condition of a system, which creates a chain of events leading to larger-scale events. And if the butterfly did not flap it's wings, the outcome of the larger-scale events may have been vastly different. To apply this to life, one can never be certain about the effect of karma on a particular interaction or conversation. What I find in my own life is that the greatest gifts of opportunity come when I least expect them.

Some people landscape their environment to attract butterflies into their yards. These individuals plant the right flowers and shrubs to attract the butterflies into their visual range and into their lives. In the same vein, some people do what they can to attract opportunity and abundance into their lives through their positive thinking, openness and curiosity about the world around them. If something isn't working, then they shift their approach until they receive what they need or desire--they plant the flowering shrub that will attract opportunity into their lives.

In contrast, I have spoken with people who feel that "nothing ever goes their way" in life. Upon deeper exploration, often I discover that these are the folks who approach their relationships with others and their environment with an attitude of pessimism and defeat. Their yards, so to speak, are devoid of any inviting flora in which to attract beauty and abundance into their lives. So, depending on our relationship, as a coach or as a therapist, I work with such people to help them "re-landscape" their inner thoughts which will then translate, over time, into a more welcoming garden where opportunity and joy can flourish. When you learn how to change your perspective on issues or concerns and approach problems with a different attitude, you shift your energy into a more positive place and you begin to see the results around you. When you let go of pessimism and embrace empowering thoughts and behaviors, then you open up your visual field to acknowledge and experience the beauty and opportunity around you!

So the butterfly lessons are these:
- Pick up your head, open your eyes and acknowledge and embrace the
opportunities around you. Take advantage of them because they may not
stick around for long!
- If you feel your environment is lacking, be proactive and plant what you
need in order to attract opportunity and abundance into your life.
- Don't discount the power of an interaction or conversation with another.
One "flap" of such a wing could lead to something big!

Thought for the Day: What can you do to attract some beauty and opportunity into your life through the butterfly effect? What do you need to plant in your own life to cultivate some opportunity for change?

"Just like the butterfly, I too will awaken in my own time."
~Deborah Chaskin