Butterflies and the Uncomfortable Art of Transformation
Updated: Oct 23
A leopard can’t change his spots.
So the saying goes, but I don’t agree with it.
I really don’t.
If there is no hope that change is possible, then what is the point?
Welcome to Animal Instincts where we discover wisdom in the natural world and apply it to work, rest, leadership, and daily life.
Butterflies have to be the most miraculous creatures on the planet. A caterpillar begins life as a larva, spending most of its time eating and growing.
Which feels like the perfect life to me.
It then forms itself into a chrysalis. At which point its insides weirdly start changing. This metamorphosis, as it’s called, causes old tissues to break down and new structures like wings, legs and antennae to develop.
After days or weeks, the adult butterfly emerges, she (or he) pumps fluid into her crumpled wings, lets them dry, and then flies away into a new life and freedom.
Truly remarkable.
Fun fact: Every butterfly wing is pre-designed from a genetic code, and we don’t know how many different designs there are—literally tens of thousands at least.
Jeremy hated who he was. He had always suffered from low self-esteem and the house he grew up in didn’t help.
He struggled to connect with people and, in his teens, he sub-consciously looked for role models he could aspire to.
At all costs he didn’t want to be like his father.
His dad wasn’t a bad guy, but he wasn’t the sort of person a young boy looks up to. Dad struggled to find work, had no interest in kicking a ball, and had a phobia about leaving the house on his own.
Oh, and he bullied Jeremy’s mum. With words and arguments. In fact, nobody dared cross him in the house.
In his early adulthood, Jeremy was horrified to find some of his father’s character traits in him.
The change that a Chrysalis goes through is already written in the creature’s DNA. But the butterfly still has to emerge from the process and wrestle itself out of the sac. It must respond to the changes that have been given to it, fight its way out, and fly.
What Jeremy needed was a metamorphosis—an internal change, of sorts. If you talk to him today, you will see something he would describe as miraculous. He appears to have none of his father’s insecurities and phobias. He is enjoying a successful career and his kids love him.
Almost as contrasting as a butterfly is to a caterpillar
But the truth is, it has been a struggle.
When I asked Jeremy what contributed to his transformation, he said there were two factors. First, he had to find the courage to recognise and acknowledge his weaknesses. If he has messed up or made a mistake, he must own it. If there were things he found difficult to do in life, like apologise, or listen to another person’s different point of view, he needed to face that, not brush it away.
An insecure man finds it hard to do those sorts of things.
Jeremy realised that internal change (like a transforming chrysalis) was being offered to him. All he had to do was this: Every time something happened in life that highlighted a weakness in him, he must embrace it, not fight it.
He must reject pride and embrace humility. He must submit to the transformation process by admitting he needed to change.
I asked him what the second factor was. In short, he said he needed outside help. Early on in his transformation journey he had found faith in Jesus Christ and the Bible. He said if Christianity doesn’t teach you humility, you haven’t understood it. The first step in becoming a Christian is to admit you need a Saviour.
But this article isn't really about the big questions of life. It’s about the workplace—that place that has a way of exposing our weaknesses when our guard is down—impatience, defensiveness, insecurity, inability to listen or reluctance to admit we're wrong.
Perhaps when those things happen, rather than being a nuisance, they are opportunities for transformation.
Because when we acknowledge our weaknesses there is hope for change.
The beauty we see in a butterfly (both males and females) has been created and released into the world through internal change and struggle.
And that can be true for humans too.
……….
Your transformation starts with self-awareness
Like the butterfly, we can become something more than we are today. But change begins when we're willing to recognise our weaknesses, embrace humility and learn from the uncomfortable moments that reveal where we need to grow.
What might you discover about yourself?
Take our free Which Animal Instinct Are You? Assessment to explore your strengths and weaknesses in the workplace and identify opportunities for personal growth.
Ready to put what you learn into practice? Explore our Animal Instincts guided journals for practical, nature-inspired ways to develop healthier habits, greater resilience and more purposeful work.
Or read more articles inspired by nature for fresh perspectives on leadership, wellbeing and personal growth.
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