This sounds like the beginning of a riddle:

How are plants, butterflies, & people similar?

I’ve never been good at solving riddles; I’m often too deep into the associations rather than pulling back to see a bigger picture. This isn’t a riddle. It’s a legitimate question.

How are plants, butterflies, & people similar?

Let’s start with plants. The future life of a plant is in the seed.

Photo by Nick Collins on Unsplash

The seed must go into the dark, the soil swallowing up all evidence of life. For a period of time it appears nothing is happening.

But then

Photo by Jen Theodore on Unsplash

Evidence of growth sprouts above the soil, but the new life is fragile. It needs to be cared for to continue healthy growth. The plant needs specific nutrients, light, moisture, and temperature in order to thrive.

Photo by Bradley Ziffer on Unsplash

Let’s talk about butterflies. They start with an egg, too. The egg grows to a pupa which needs nutrients to continue growing as it prepares for its transformation into a butterfly. But the pupa or caterpillar has to go into the dark before the metamorphosis takes place. A lot of nutrition, the right conditions, and being left alone to transform are all necessary for the butterfly to develop.

Photo by Suzanne D. Williams on Unsplash

People are similar to plants and butterflies in many ways. When it comes to internal growth, change begins with a seed of desire that becomes awareness of the need to change. The awareness must be nurtured within us before growth and change is evidenced on the outside. This new growth is fragile; it needs to be fostered in an environment of support and encouragement. The change we want to make takes time; it doesn’t happen overnight or even in 40 days.

But growth will come if the seed of change is given what it needs to develop.

Keep after this my friend. You are worth the time and energy that lasting change takes.

Photo by Austin Chan on Unsplash

Action step: I invite you look back over these 15 days. Acknowledge all you’ve considered, the action(s) you have taken, and the wise decisions you have made as you’ve been journeying. Give yourself credit for being on this journey. Not everyone you know chose to do this. You are growing whether you see it right now or not. Celebrate being you!