Christmas came and went but we were still celebrating. Our annual day-after-Christmas extended family party, with all our favorite cousins, gathered at my sister’s summer kitchen, overlooking the Indian River, to once again eat, drink, and make merry. After yet more delicious food (we all love to cook and bake), fine wine and lots of loud laughs, we settled down to luscious desserts accompanied by our traditional family favorite beverage, Brandy Alexanders.
It was lovely watching the sunset stripes over the river, surrounded by gorgeous tropical plants and flowers. That’s when my sister reminded us all, “Oh check out my latest baby”. An avid gardener, she had, just that morning, showed me her patch of blooming milkweed, a butterfly favorite. Indeed, the tiny yellow and orange flowers were covered with fluttering Monarch Butterflies.
She then produced a pot bursting with miniature red bromeliads and there, hanging from a leaf frond, was a single lime green butterfly chrysalis, embellished with gold dots, suspended by a single slender black thread, and looking like the most perfect Christmas ornament. We all took turns admiring it, in awe of its delicate, exquisite beauty.
As lovely as the chrysalis is to look at, its content is a miracle of greatness. The chrysalis contains what used to be the caterpillar, now the muck, and the goo, the stuff of life for the potential butterfly silently growing and developing. It’s not ready yet, but it’s growing. Days of warm sunshine promote its growth. When it is ready, and not before, when its greatness is ready to show itself to the world, it will emerge into its final cycle of growth. When ready, the butterfly will emerge, fanning its wings to collect the solar energy it needs to power its ability to fly. Eventually the butterfly will develop to its greatness – light yet strong, delicate yet vibrant, delighting people all over the world.
The world? Yes the world. Monarch Butterflies migrate thousands of miles! One of their destinations is Michoacán Mexico. High in the mountains, deep in the woods, millions of butterflies arrive. The tall green pine trees turn orange and are so laden with butterflies that their boughs bend and sag from the weight. The miracle of what these tiny delicate insects accomplish is mind boggling – their greatness year after year.
This next year I too am growing my greatness. My ideas have been stewing and churning and growing in the chrysalis of my mind. This year, again, I will spread my creative wings and receive the sun kissed blessing of the universe that nurtures all creative ideas.
I’m ready to grow my greatness. How about you? Have you been pondering a project, inclined to an idea, noodling a notion? If so, here are 5 tips to get you moving for your best blooming.
B – BEGIN now.
L – LEVERAGE your resources
O – Get help from OTHERS
O – Transfer OBSTACLES into learning
M – MENTOR others
Let this coming year be your best blooming to Grow Your Greatness.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!