Every time we decide to pursue our goals, achieve something or become more, the price to pay is our old self…
The process between where you are and what you want, be it a new role, a spouse, a new life etc requires you to BE different. becoming the next version of yourself that you aspire to means letting go and death of your former self, Identity, beliefs and associations. You are becoming a new creation.
Within this process we have several stages. I will focus on the incubation stage, the stage almost everyone hates.
Often during times of incubation there are certain parts of ourselves that die because those parts of ourselves are not needed in our next level. This process is one of the most painful ones, it can take a short while or a very long time depending on how deep the transformation is.
When we look at a butterfly we think how beautiful and unique they all are , we often speak of their transformation but no one really spends time to speak about the messy middle, the time the caterpillar is in a Chrysalis in the dark by itself, its most vulnerable time in existence.
During this time if you were to cut open the Chrysalis the caterpillar will die. This is how crucial this time is for the caterpillar.
The Chrysalis is actually part of the caterpillar’s body, for a start the caterpillar’s outer coating separates from its body much like a snake’s skin, and this creates the Chrysalis. After the chrysalis forms, the body releases enzymes called caspases that dissolve cells in the insect’s muscles and organs, leaving behind only the most vital life-supporting cells. It’s from this point that a group of specialized cells called imaginal discs get to work, developing the insect’s new body and wings in a short time period.
When the fully developed butterfly emerges, it often leaves behind a gooey fluid in the spent chrysalis. This fluid is the waste that was produced during the transformation, including the bodily fluids that the butterfly won’t need anymore.
Metaphorically speaking this is similar to what happens to us leaving the old self behind, the experiences, belief systems , though processes etc behind that we do not need in the next chapter for those experiences have no room in the new us
As you can see how necessary this is for the caterpillar to become the butterfly imagine how much more us who continue to live on for many more years and still go through this process
We experience the incubation period many times in our lives with varying degrees, to the point that if someone hasn’t seen us for a long time the first thing they say is that you have changed! Of Course you have, its meant to be a compliment.
A similar thing happens to snakes, they shed their skin to allow for further growth and to remove parasites that may have attached to their old skin. As a snake grows, its skin becomes stretched. It’s one of the reasons why snakes are also symbols of transformation.
Every single day our cells are being renewed, meaning parts of us die whether we are cognisant of it or not. In order for you to achieve the thing you desire in your heart, you need to grow, growth is never linear and can at times look like regression as in the case of the caterpillar. Whilst it’s in the Chrysalis, the outside world sees it as stagnant, and almost going backwards because it’s not fulfilling or moving about as it did but to the discerning eye it’s a different story.
Imagine now the outer skin of the caterpillar and the old skin of a snake being our Identity which cocoons our insides which represent our thoughts, beliefs, character, relationships etc for a period of time where all that is not necessary for our next step is set aside as waste , it served us before but not anymore.
And as we are in this cocoon, the internal process which happens in obscurity is seen once we break out of the old identity stepping into what we desire.
It’s not an easy process but necessary all together for our evolution.
About Author
Harriet Khataba is a Prophet, Thought Leader, Mentor , Author, Producer , Award winning mentor and Executive Director of Her Story Matters. She is an avid reader and writer and speaks on topics around Leadership, spirituality, Leadership, Personal development and Entrepreneurship. She teaches Supernatural workshops and runs events focusing on spirituality and Quantum realm where she invites guests to share their spiritual knowledge and expertise as well as move on the supernatural.
