Butterfly: The Butterfly represents transformation and is a symbol of metamorphosis. The Butterfly represents a need for change and greater freedom to be ourselves … and brings us the gift of Soul Evolution. The Butterfly teaches us about the never-ending cycle and power of our own self-transformation.

It reminds us to stay in the moment and at the same time it represents courage: one requires courage to carry out the changes necessary in the process of ones own growth.

If I told a Caterpillar
that tomorrow
he would be a Butterfly
he would call me a liar!
… old Sufi Saying

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I love butterflies. If I had to pick something, an image that represented me, I would most likely pick a butterfly. They remind me of freedom, transformation, beauty, femininity, growth, change, power, grace…everything that’s in the words above and then some. Probably even more so today as those things seem to mean more to me. Subconscious goals. My internal “To Do” list…or rather my “To BE” list.

I feel like I’ve been in a cocoon (um, a chrysalis - butterflies develop chrysalis not cocoons - moths spin cocoons) for a while now, awaiting the day I punch my way out of it, unfold my weeks and find myself transformed. Personal metamorphosis. Not a “re-creating” or reinventing of myself. Simply a deeper level of being who I was intended to be, finding myself just that much closer to my soul purpose as designed by the Creator. Transformation – metamorphosis – can take place on many levels in our lives and I’m feeling it in every area. I’m ready. Ready to spread my wings and take flight.

People are always going on about why someone else doesn’t learn XYZ, why they continue to stay in dead-end jobs or bad relationships. I’ve learned that each of us has a journey and we can’t take shortcuts on that journey without stunting our growth. Reminds me of the story of the man who that he was helping the butterfly out by opening the “cocoon” before it was ready and it never really made it to that beautiful butterfly stage. Sometimes we think we’re helping people but we have to be sure that what we see as “help” is what they truly need. I think about the experiences I’ve had in my life and where I am now and I can truly be thankful for each and every one of them. THAT’s growth.

Power. How does that apply to something as delicate as a butterfly? I read somewhere that something as simple as the fluttering of a butterfly’s wings can cause a typhoon halfway around the world. That’s impactful. That’s POWERFUL.

Beauty. Femininity.

There’s a WHOLE ‘nother post in and of its self. I’m not going to delve into the details right now – it’s so deeply personal, it may never make the blog. Just know that, f or the longest time, for many reasons, I fought against my femininity. Don’t get me wrong – no matter what was going on in my life at any given moment, you would know that I was a woman. You just wouldn’t always see, to paraphrase the Sears tagline, “My softer side”. I’m done with that now. Enough is enough. It’s time to stand up, reclaim those curves, and revel in being the beautifully bold, beautifully creative, beautifully grounded, beautifully grace-filled, beautifully human person that I truly am.

Now that’s what FREEDOM is really all about.

Off to shop for a butterfly charm for my necklace. Who knows? Might end up with that butterfly tat after all. Smooches!

Single Ma tagged me. Then limited my wordy a** to 5 things! THEN tells people I’ll respond all “poetical”. Humph. Oh, and Single Ma? What makes you think I have 5 obsessions? I mean ANY obsessions. Yeah, ANY obsessions. On to the madness:

1. L-O-V-E: for me, this is a given. When I say I’m obsessed with love, I mean in healthy, positive ways. For me, it starts with love for the Creator, constantly growing that relationship and having it grow me - 24/7, 365. It starts with love for myself. While that should be a given, I can tell you that it hasn’t always been that way and there are still days when THAT relationship is shaky. I mean love for your family & friends. My family/friends are BEYOND fabulous. And when you get to that place where family becomes friends and friends become family, you are truly blessed beyond measure. And yes, FINALLY, I’m talking about “LOVE” love. Being open, ready and willing to do the work. To commit to something bigger than either of you. Being willing to be naked – emotionally buck a** naked – in front of another person without apologizing for who you are or your experiences or trying to hide. Aware of your stuff – the stuff you know about, the stuff you’re hiding, the stuff that will come up (trust me – stuff is gonna come up). Knowing neither of you is perfect – not expecting it, needing it or wanting it – but realizing you just might be perfect for each other. Showing up authentically in every interaction. Opening yourself up so that you can go deeper into who you’re meant to be. You don’t FIND the kind of relationships that I’m talking about – you GROW them, you grow into them.

2. TRUTH/HONESTY. I like dealing in truth - liars/lying make my teeth itch. My obsession with the truth doesn’t mean beating people over the head with it but simply living & speaking truthfully - honest actions and intentions. It prevents unnecessary drama. Truth should be an absolute but it’s colored by our individual experiences. That shouldn’t change what the TRUTH is. No matter how we might dress it up, water it down, serve it to folks in small doses or just unload both barrels on them – it’s still the truth. Generally speaking, I’m diplomatic in my approach to sharing truth with others. You don’t have to speak truth in ways that are hurtful. When that happens, people don’t HEAR what you say – they hear HOW you said it and then they filter anything else you say through that experience. I’m not saying coddle people – trust me, there are many who can attest to the fact that I can, have & will get up in ya a** if I need to. It’s just not my everyday MO. Words of warning: just because it’s true doesn’t mean you have to say it. Not all truths are yours to tell. Remember that. Oh, and by all means – be honest with and about yourself. It’s bad to lie to others but when you lie to yourself, you begin to LIVE that lie. Dangerous territory.

3. GOOD CONVERSATION. Good conversation is an art form. People can talk; not everyone can deliver good conversation. Too many folks talk just to be talking, just to be heard, have attention - not intent on listening or sharing. I’m talking about conversations born between people who are really interested in getting to know each other – going deep into the place where your differences live. Where the pain resides, the fears, the dreams. Conversations that have you bringing up the sun. Unscripted. Free-flowing. That stretch you, challenge you, make you think. Where people are comfortable saying what they want/need to say knowing they won’t be dismissed, judged, or coerced into ‘going along to get along’. It’s conversation that leaves you energized, with more knowledge/understanding…FULL. I.LOVE.THAT. If you’ve never experienced that, you’re missing a blessing – I was going to call it a treat but if it’s REALLY good, it goes so much deeper than a “treat”.

4. LIVING MY BEST LIFE: I know, it sounds “Oprah-esque”. What does ‘live your best life’ mean to me? Getting down to the nitty-gritty of who I am – what brings me joy, what makes me pause, what people/places/things help me grow & bring the best of me to the surface. Being authentic. Being rooted in Him first, me second - my purpose and living my life fully from that place. I shared some poetry with a writer’s group yesterday and someone said he was amazed at my ability/willingness to explore such emotional depths. My response? It’s the only way I know how to live & the ONLY way I want to love. I’m drawn to people who live their lives with energy. I don’t mean that they’re always “busy”, always doing something. I mean, there’s just an energy about them. It took years to realize that that kind of energy comes from living the truth of you out loud every day. Once I tapped into that, I saw that I’ve always had the kind of energy but haven’t always been strong enough or brave enough to step fully into it. But guess what? I’m into it now – up to my neck. That kind of philosophy brings with it a certain level of intensity. It’s not for the faint of heart. People will fall away. That used to bother me because it meant letting go of some connections I thought were meant to go the distance. But I learned. Life is very much a journey and not everyone who starts out with you or shows up along the way is meant to see you all the way to the end.

5. CREATIVITY: Translated - writing, music, “creating”. When I think about what feeds my soul, outside of the 4 things above, you can bet creative endeavors are in the mix. Poetry rules my life. My life IS a poem. Poetry is music to me, it’s oxygen, it’s food, it’s water. Music is poetry. I can chronicle events in my life by songs. When I say I love music, I mean GOOD music, real music. I have eclectic music tastes – I listen to all genres but no extremes of anything (no hard-core rap, rock, country, etc.). I’m probably more of an R&B, neo-soul, jazz aficionado. Love hip-hop but I’m selective about it. I’m ‘crafty’ (take that however you want to – you’d probably be right either way) – I dabble in all kinds of craft projects. Making cards, painting, etc. I can walk into a store, see a couple of ordinary items and in my head, I’ve combined them into something new & beautiful. Consequently, there are a lot of “prototypes” of different things in my house my “experiments”.

So there you have it boys & girls, my top 5 obsessions. No mention of candles, bodies of water, bubble baths, jellybeans (don’t laugh – Single Ma had cheese on her list!), laughter, ink pens, shoes.

Now the fun part: I get to tag 5 people. Next up?
Unknown Diva, Soulfull of Thoughts, Princess Dominique, Shai, and Peggy.

This should be good. :O)