Thought for the Day from Karla’s Korner: Never Give Up…Be the Butterfly

Thought for the Day

Never Give Up…

I came home from work the other day and noticed quite a few butterflies fluttering around my newly bloomed lilac bush. The bush has been in my yard for two years and has just bloomed for the first time. The fragrance is intoxicating and I find myself stopping by for a “sniff” every chance I get. As I approached the bush most of the butterflies flew away; only one remained. He (I really don’t know if it was male or female) stayed on one large lush bloom swaying back and forth in the high wind that was whipping around the corner of my house. I ran to the car to retrieve my camera and began to snap away at the beautiful creature. I noticed that the butterfly was missing a rather large piece from its right wing. As the wind tossed the lilac blooms around the butterfly held on and sipped away at the sweet nectar as if it were an easy feat. Once in a while the butterfly would let go and choose another bloom to partake. Each time he let go the wind would cause the butterfly to whip around in the air and struggle to get back to the bush. As I watched him flap his wings with wild abandon I couldn’t help but liken the butterflies struggle against the wind to our struggle against the winds of life. Just like the butterfly fighting against the wind currents we often find ourselves fighting against strong currents of life. As I watched the butterfly work against the wind with his incomplete wing struggling twice as hard as one with a complete wing the word endurance crept into my mind. It seemed that no matter how hard the wind blew, the butterfly worked harder to stay on course in order to reach his preferred destination.

How often do we find ourselves in a windy situation feeling tossed around not knowing where we should land? Quite often we allow ourselves to feel beaten and defeated in trying times instead of facing our troubles head on like the “disabled” butterfly against the wind. According to my research, the average purposed life span of most butterflies is approximately 3-6 weeks; not a lot of time to achieve its life purpose. What would happen if the butterfly stopped fighting the wind and just gave up? The pollination process would be disrupted, the lilacs may lose its blooming abilities and its life would lose meaning. Some might just overlook the butterfly because it doesn’t seem significant, but there is a reason the butterfly exists. Everything and everyone on Earth has a purpose. For animals and insects instinct takes over and their purpose is fulfilled; for humans we find ourselves with less instinctual habits and the need to learn to make decisions and choices to fulfill our purpose in life. All too often we tend to give up and move onto something else instead of enduring the hardships of life to accomplish goals and reaching the “happy ever after” we desire.

As I watched the butterfly fight against the wind I wished that I could help him somehow; make it a little easier for him to reach his desired destination. But then I concluded that it’s the work that makes it all worthwhile. My young nephew got married this past weekend and as I stood on the beach and watched him and his beautiful bride make promises and become husband and wife I thought back to the butterfly and how much sweeter his life was because he worked toward conquering the troubling wind to achieve his goal of the perfect place to land. During the reception the wedding guests were sharing bits of advice with the newlyweds. Naturally, I felt compelled to share my thoughts too. I shared with my nephew and new niece that marriage is work and sometimes it’s hard work but it is worth the work and the end result is a happy successful marriage that will last a lifetime.

Giving up on the hard stuff is easy. Walking away from troubles and difficulties is simple. Facing those hard times and working through them is difficult and time consuming, however, determination, endurance and perseverance will make getting through those times worth the struggle.

Whatever it is that stands in your way of peace and happiness I say tackle it one step at a time. By doing so you will not only overcome but will have the satisfaction of accomplishment and never giving up. Famed basketball coach Jim Valvano once said ”How do you go from where you are to where you want to be? I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life. You have to have a dream, a goal, and you have to be willing to work for it.” Be the butterfly. Face the wind and conquer your struggles….it’s worth the work.

Peace,

Karla

Karla is my children’s teacher, a good friend, and a person with a heart of gold. I hope that her words will inspire you to do more. I think we all need a touch point a place we can go to be inspired. We are only as good as the people we surround ourselves with. It is important to listen with your heart and proceed with your eyes open. Enjoy!

Check out all of Karla’s Korner articles for more Thought for the Day here. Also, please visit Karla’s Lifetime Moms page and read her articles.

Topic: Thought for the Day