The Magnum Opus in the Garden of our Soul

Do you happen to like butterflies?  I would imagine we might have at least that in common! ;)
Well, let's consider the butterfly, for a moment.  Might as well, right?

We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, 

but rarely admit the changes it has gone through

to achieve that beauty.

~ Maya Angelou

        Ah, Maya, you would know all about this, in your lifetime, wouldn't you?  A beautiful woman who experienced her share of things to make her the beauty she will be remembered to be.

        Have you ever considered the life cycle of the butterfly, my friends?  It begins as a caterpillar...which relatively few feel enamored upon seeing it!  Basically it is typically seen as "a fuzzy worm with legs", it spends a great deal of time munching leaves to gather the energy required for future endeavors.  Often people find these little creatures to be pests, and do what means they feel are necessary to keep them away from their gardens!

        Eventually, the little, munching worm begins the process of winding itself into a tight, protective layer, to basically incubate while a very strange and amazing metamorphosis takes place within.  Eventually, the thin shell opens as the changed creature emerges, ready to grace the world with light, fanciful flight!  And people actually create gardens just to lure them back!

        Sometimes we tend to enjoy seeing the little wonders fluttering about, living out the remainder of their lives in such mesmerizing beauty, but we forget that they began their lives as something many feel are repulsive!  How can it be, that we can reject the little creatures, til they are lovely, colorful and delicate?

As you probably have imagined, I'm going to use this story of the caterpillar and the butterfly as a metaphor, because that's how I roll.  I could have used others, but naturally this one seems fairly appropriate, given all. ;)

        So many of us either spend much of our lives being unfairly judged, giving unfair judgments - or both.  In reality, putting judgment-based labels to people and things based on surface observance - including ourselves - is unfair, and inappropriate.  It's a fairly good chance that those who seem the most ___ (choose a label) are likely not.

Who shows and tells everything they have and are, to anyone or everyone?

Who holds back because of fear of the judging behaviors by others?

And better yet... 

who wishes, with all their heart, 

that they could show the world their truth, 

without having to face the derision 

or rejection of the world 

for doing it?  

        As the metaphor could imply, we have just as much potential within us, as the little worms who annoy the garden, only to turn into the delight of the world!  We have within us unlimited potential, but often we are afraid to reach out and grasp it, because all we and those around us can see is the worm of us: the mistakes, the weaknesses, the inability to achieve perfection as prescribed ... our natural humanity.

Oh, my friends, what a sad and terrible predicament, that is!
How painful, to long to be more than we are,
but be afraid of stretching beyond our comfort zone to achieve it!
How cold, that ache of feeling like we'll never be, nor do,
whatever our hearts urge us to accomplish!

 Why do we do this to ourselves?

        You may have noticed, I include myself in this refrain.  I am just as guilty of this as anyone else.  However, I must admit that I have done a few things to move myself onward, away from this prison we humans often create for ourselves.  For instance, when I felt the time was right, I began the journey that created the PB Project, including jumping out there with the PB Facebook Community Page, and started posting bits and pieces of myself, here in this blog.  I've also been working toward other extensions of the Project, as well as possible, new projects for the future, one step at a time.

        There are still people from whom I fear judgment, who probably couldn't care less (or are now gone), but I still long for their approval, and so I struggle, every time I make a post, here, since I've no idea who follows this blog, itself.  I am working on overcoming that "irrational" fear, and I mention it here in an attempt to take a step toward that end, both for myself and for you, my friends, who might also struggle with this kind of thing.  I've no doubt I'm not the only one.

        You and I have such beautiful potential.  It can be a long, slow process to make that potential show itself in its full glory, but wouldn't it be amazing to one day show the world that which we have always had inside, but that took our overcoming all the odds against us to achieve the wonder of showing it?  Do you not feel that tugging of your heart, and have something come to mind, even fuzzy and indistinguishable, but very much there, just waiting for you to explore?  Would it not be worth it, to at least find out what our hearts already know?

        I think it would be.  I think the magnum opus of our lives is waiting, my friends, and it will be magnificent, if we will take even tiny steps toward it.  You've already accomplished one step, in just reading this to the end, which you've done, or you wouldn't know I've just told you, you have. ;)

        Better days ahead, my friends!