Meet George – an incredible caterpillar specimen. We recently found the little guy on one of our flower plants. He is easily the biggest caterpillar I have seen, so calling him a “little guy” may not be giving him the right respect.
Past Success
In any case, we did a little research to determine what he is – a white lined sphinx caterpillar, as best we can tell. They feed on a variety of plants, including the evening primrose. And the evening primrose is exactly where we found him lounging after making a meal of one of its leaves. He obviously has been on a very successful path so far. He is big, healthy, and right where he is supposed to be.
The future looks bright for him. If all goes well, he will at some point find a safe place to burrow and eventually re-emerge to continue on his path as a white lined sphinx moth. He will come back to some of the same plants and act as pollinator rather than predator.
I expect that when it comes time, he will feel an inner pull to take the next new step. It won’t matter that he may be happy and successful as a caterpillar. It won’t matter what those around him are doing, whether he is timid about his future, or that he has never made the leap to become a moth before.
His need to change does not mean that he has failed as a caterpillar. On the contrary – his success as a caterpillar has positioned him to have the best chance at becoming a healthy and successful moth.
Realignment
We, as humans, are often very resistant to change and listening to the inner voice whispering (or yelling) that we need to make a change. Our changes may not be as spectacular as a full transformation or metamorphosis. But if we lean in to the alignment that we can sense inside, we can be more certain that we are walking the best path for our truth and the stage that we are in. It is in that spirit that I ask the following.
How do you celebrate when you are on the right path?
What cues do you see and feel that let you know a realignment is necessary?
How can you leverage the successes of the past to position yourself for different success in the future?
How do you find the courage to take the next step?
Future Success
Since George, as a caterpillar, could wreak havoc in my garden, we relocated him to a safe new home on a willow (another favorite food) in a big field not far away so that he can have the best shot at fulfilling his destiny.
I look forward to seeing him returning to feed at the flowers of the primrose that he started this journey on so I can marvel at his new form.