Butterfly

Once Zhuangzi dreamt he was a butterfly, a butterfly flitting and fluttering around, happy with himself and doing as he pleased. He didn't know he was Zhuangzi. Suddenly he woke up and there he was, solid and unmistakable Zhuangzi. But he didn't know if he was Zhuangzi who had dreamt he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming he was Zhuangzi. Between Zhuangzi and a butterfly there must be some distinction! This is called the Transformation of Things. (2, tr. Burton Watson 1968:49)

I like to look at my life as if I was a butterfly. Starting out as a caterpillar, crawling through the dirt and the muck, which truly represent the trials and tribulations of life. Entering a cocoon like state, which represents the time of reflection, the transformational period and learning to let go. Then the final stage, becoming the butterfly, finally letting go of all aspects of life. My wings floating on the wind that blows. Free.

This outlook of course can apply to all stages of life, for instance, it can represent a project at work. First, you discover your companies needs or problems, then you develop a project management team, which could be consider the cocoon like state, the transformational period and then you become the butterfly and watch your business boom.

Or perhaps you can look at it as a self-healing process; say if you are working through anger issues. The anger could be the caterpillar stage where you go through the hardships that possibly caused your anger. Then there is the cocoon stage where you reflect on what has happened to cause you such discomfort that you lash out. Then finally, there is the butterfly stage where you learn to no longer have an attachment to your anger, calm down and be free of it. There are so many possibilities as to where you can apply the butterfly stages.

I am the butterfly, in love with the world, in love with its possibilities. I am filled with hope that we are in the cocoon like state right and soon about to enter the butterfly state. In love with the world.