Freedom's Journey

By Mark Susnow

Letters on Life

There are lessons to be learned wherever you are and sometimes they are least expected. They appear in many forms and in many different circumstances. Last summer I was struggling, not sure of my direction. I felt like my life was on hold and I was waiting for something exciting to happen. I was totally attached to things being different. And then in a yoga class it hit me. For the last six years I have been a serious student of Yoga. I get excited about breakthroughs in my practice. But this particular class was different from all of the other classes. We held the postures for five minutes--finding our edge between pain and pleasure. Pushing ourselves, yet respecting our boundaries. Like so many other things after a little success you want more. But this summer I wanted things to go faster than they were. I wanted things to be different. I was becoming impatient. And then Bhavani, our teacher, started reading. In each class what she read was different. But it was what she read on this occasion that made a difference.

"A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could, and it could go no further. So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly. What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon!"

If you knew that you would become a butterfly at the right time, would the cocooning be more meaningful? Consider an area of your life in which you are being held back by a restricting cocoon? Look at what's holding you back as if it were the road you must travel. Stop the struggle, feel the freedom and fly away!

I love receiving your many responses and feedback. Keep them coming. Feel free to pass on this letter to the friends in your circle and let them know about the advantages of being on the journey.

Mark

About the author:
Mark Susnow, formerly a trial attorney for 30 years, is a coach, speaker, musician, and group facilitator who motivates and empowers others to live the life they want and deserve. He lives in Marin County, and on the island of Kauai, with his wife and family. http://www.inspirepossibility.com/


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