The tricky
fact about growth of any kind is that it hurts.
Actually, improvement is often such a grueling process that we wonder
how we’ll ever survive. Transformation may challenge us in the following ways:
- Physically
- Spiritually
- Mentally
- Psychologically
The Necessity for the Growth Process
Numerous
individuals are satisfied with their current lives. I submit that many more are
not. There’s a metaphorical landfill of
buried dreams and hopes out there somewhere.
Why? We’re
intimidated by change. We’re addicted to comfort. Alterations for the better or
the worse are not restful. Therefore, many of us try to avoid them at all
costs.
If we refuse to go through the
discomfort that any transformation
brings, we will not be able to move beyond our present limitations. We cannot reach our dreams if we
keep living the way we are.
“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds…”—Ralph Waldo
Emerson
Caterpillars and Butterflies
Imagine if a
caterpillar, pretty in its own right, refused to go through the arduous task of
becoming a butterfly. He is content to crawl around and eat leaves all day.
That’s all he knows. He’s good with
that.
The
caterpillar sees no need to rock the boat. He doesn’t know he was meant for
something exponentially greater.
Basic
science says the caterpillar was meant to be a gorgeous butterfly that will
grace the skies. The sky is the limit—literally—for such gorgeous creatures.
The Progression
The metamorphosis isn’t easy; it never is. The caterpillar eats and
eats. He forms a cocoon and lives in it for a time. When it is ready to emerge
from the pupa as a full-fledged butterfly, it must fight its way out on its
own. It struggles and struggles and finally breaks completely out of its shell.
The Purpose of the Process
Are there
any shortcuts? No! The butterfly only strengthens its wings enough to fly by using
them to break out of the cocoon.
There’s a
story about how a man crippled a butterfly by ripping open the cocoon. The man
thought he was being kind. However, by circumventing the butterfly’s struggles,
he left the butterfly unable to fly. The poor animal’s wings weren’t strong
enough to lift it due to the lack of exercise.
My Conclusion
Beauty and
victory often follow heavy sacrifice and struggle. A life of comfort produces nothing but more of the same. If we want
something different out of life, we must work for it. Some of us aren’t willing
to do that. Please see the article I wrote the other day about prominent people
who worked hard for success here.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,
whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of
your faith produces perseverance.”—James 1:2-3 (NIV)
Are you prepared to break out of your
cocoon?
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