What can butterflies teach us about struggle?

I can't quite recall where or how I stumbled upon this beautiful true story about butterflies, but it touched me deeply. It's a story of suffering, resilience, and the incredible strength that emerges from both.

The butterfly's journey out of her cocoon is the most challenging part of her transformation. She must emerge from an extraordinarily tiny hole in her cocoon ... so small that at times, she appears on the brink of death.

Yet, this struggle is crucial. Without it, she would not survive.

The act of going through the tiny hole forces fluid from her abdomen into her wings. If you try to ease the butterfly's exit by cutting a hole in the cocoon, she will die. It's the struggle out of the hole that pushes blood to her wings so she develops the strength to fly.

What can this story teach you about your own struggles?

I've journeyed through the tiny cocoon hole many times in my life. It feels terrible and I want the pain to go away as quickly as possible.

But as Robert Tew once wrote, “The struggle you’re in today is developing the strength you need for tomorrow. Don’t give up.”