The Story of a Butterfly

I would like to share with you a story that I have been told during my coaching certification training. This story remains in my mind since then.

It is called “The butterfly story”.

Once upon a time, a man found a cocoon for a butterfly with a small opening. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through the little hole. Then, it seemed to stop making any progress and appeared stuck.

The man decided to help the butterfly and cut open the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But something was strange. The butterfly had a swollen body and shrivelled wings. The man watched the butterfly expecting it to take on its correct proportions. But the butterfly stayed the same and it was never able to fly.

In his kindness, the man did not realise that the butterfly’s struggle to get through the small opening of the cocoon is the nature’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings, so that it would be ready for flight.

Life is bringing its set of struggles. Our struggles develop our strengths. When you face a challenging situation, remember the story of the butterfly. Then, when you have sorted out this specific struggle, ask yourself: what has this situation taught me? What have I taken away from it?

This is also relevant in highlighting what coaching is about. Coaching is providing you with a reassuring space to review the struggles of life, an opportunity to assess situations from a wider range of perspectives, for you to decide the best action plan to implement.