Beauty Through Pain & Transformation

The following post was thoughtfully shared by Andrea Johnson, author of the Creative Elixer blog, where she shares her inspiration with readers on a regular basis. The following post honors the way we can search for beauty in struggle. It's there, we just have to persevere and be patient. For if we can do these two things, beauty bubbles its way to the surface. 

 

A Chrysalis to Butterfly

Being beautiful through Pain & Transformation

 “We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.” ~Charles R. Swindoll

 
Ever noticed a chrysalis hidden within its cocoon? The final few moments before it emerges as a butterfly compose what science terms as metamorphosis, a transformation. If you have been lucky enough to observe this process, which I highly recommend watching, you’d notice it has to struggle quite a bit before it gets all the attention for being the magnificent creature it is.
It’s long and painful. However watching it, you may be tempted to clip off the outer covering of the chrysalis with a pair of scissors. And you might do it, thinking you’re doing it a favor. But when it finally emerges, you’d be sorely disappointed. The chrysalis’ covering holds within its shell vital fluids that are important to its wing formation. But your act of kindness, of clipping that outer shell deprives it of that, and as a result, the butterfly that emerges is crippled, deformed, and nothing like the butterfly it was supposed to be.

On the other hand, if you can muster up the patience to watch this metamorphosis take place, without any intervention from your side, you’ll see one of the most beautiful miracles of nature, and one of life’s best lessons. Our lives are journeys to a similar type of metamorphosis, to find a sense of purpose in life. We cannot achieve this without the difficult situations or the pain that life often brings in generous doses.

Each one of us has had to let go of a dream, compromise, and experience pain and the entire gamut of emotions that an undesirable change can bring. But by no means did it ever spell the end of all dreams. However if you stay true to your conscience and live your life the way you believe it should be, you can be rest assured of this: Every bad experience, painful relationship, and compromise you’ve ever made in good conscience will somehow transform into a beautiful inner reservoir of spiritual gifts and blessings.

Life wants you to take notice of three things when you’re going through a difficult time that may seem eternal:
Trust life-There’s a higher purpose behind every seemingly impossible and difficult phase. You’ve just got to hang in there and know that it’s for the best.
Change-If you find yourself feeling bad a lot more often than not, take time out to reflect on whether or not you’re happy deep down with what you’re doing.
Believe-Believe in yourself, even if the world around you doesn’t. If you don’t, who will?
Hold onto what you believe in. You’re meant to emerge as a beautiful butterfly from your chrysalis. Always remember that, with a smile, and give yourself a chance to delight and revel in the mysterious workings of the universe.

About the author: Andrea Johnson is an inspiration evangelist, freelance editor, social media consultant, artist and philanthropist. She founded Creative Elixir to share her passions for social media, arts, photography, non-profit strategies, motivational writing, and social good and to help individuals and organizations explore their potential in a fun, creative way. Connect with Andrea on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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