Why do Butterflies have to struggle?

And how is this similar to a woman’s journey through middle life?

Most insects live boring, predictable lives, as far as we know? They are born a spider or a grasshopper. After a short period of growth they are an adult and are able to look after themselves. They stay like that til they die.

They are often part of a tribe carrying out a very familiar life pattern. They are sometimes called upon to sacrifice their individual lives for the good of the tribe, think bees or ants!

So, what is different about the species we call Butterflies?

They start out life as a caterpillar. They are slow moving, visible and vulnerable. They have to hide under leaves to avoid being eaten by birds or other predators.

When the time comes, they build a chrysalis around themselves which becomes a shell. Inside the shell they start the process of transforming their body into a butterfly.

However to complete the process they have to fight their way out of the shell they have created for themselves. They have to do this to get into the sunshine to dry their wings so that they can fly away.

This process is extraordinarily similar to the journey women must make in middle life to become the woman they would want to be in the second half of their lives.

Most women start their lives following the traditional pattern for a young woman of finding a mate, building a home and having a having a family.

As time goes on they start to build a chrysalis around themselves. This chrysalis consists of obligations and responsibilities glued together with love.

That combination makes a very tough shell to break out of. Yet the woman must do so if she is to have life of her own.

No one can do it for her and we are advised not to interfere with process of the butterfly breaking out of the chrysalis because that produces a weaker butterfly who may not survive.

Do all the embryonic butterflies escape the chrysalis? No they don’t.

Do all the women escape from the chrysalis of obligations and responsibilities they have built around themselves?
No they don’t.

While we cannot release women from their chrysalis, we can support, advise and guide them on how to do it.

That is what the Midlife Butterfly Club has been designed to do.
You may not be going through this difficult process yourself, but you will know women who are. You can learn how to support, advise and guide them from us.

If you are a coach, therapist or counsellor you will find these supplementary skills very useful in helping your clients and prospective clients.

To learn more about providing this help you can become a Silver Member of the Butterfly Club at no cost.
Click here to find out more www.midlifebutterflyclub.org/#membership

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