Time to Dream!

As we learn and grow together this year, we continue to follow the metamorphosis of the butterfly. We began our year in square one, a space of death and rebirth, grieve and disbelieve, rest and renewal (see previous post). We gave ourselves time to cocoon and to turn our attention in. You may notice as you gave yourself permission to rest, you noticed things in your life that aren’t quite congruent with who you’d like to be. You may notice little whispers of “there must be something else.” This means it’s time to move on.

This spring, we will honor square two of the change cycle: dreaming and scheming. Square two is a fascinating place to be in the life cycle of a butterfly. This is where the caterpillar literally dissolves and becomes soup. There is nothing left of the old self and the new self has yet to be formed. There are only cells called imago cells that have a blueprint of what might be coming next. The changes in this stage big, yet they are internal. First sign you are in square two is that hope returns after the catalytic events that landed you in square one. You may finally let yourself use your spaces of rest to let your mind wander. This is the time to get lost in possibility. Daydream. Visualize. Ask how is this like that? What do I really love to do? Pay attention to your dreams at night and synchronicities during the day. The mantra you can use here is, “There are no rules and that’s okay!” Just let your mind wander in wonder.

One thing I have learned being in this cycle of change is that I can dream again. There is so much more out there than I ever imagined. And once I began imagining it, the universe conspired to make it happen! People started showing up, ideas began forming, my dreams got more detailed and life began flowing again. This is a fun square to be in and you have to give yourself permission to hang here until your dreams are no longer a question. In our culture we want to rush ahead, but if we do we might land in square one again! Take your time and stay slow and easy… then one day your dreams are just happening and coming to life in the most unexpected way. But that’s square three and we aren’t there yet.

You might be in square two if:

• Hope returns

• Dreams (literal and figurative) become part of your life

• You are moving furniture and redecorating

• You being gardening

• You change hairstyle (marker of identity in our culture… signals to the outside world who we are)

• You don’t like any of your clothes (change your wardrobe for new looks that fit what you are growing into)

To remember / do in this cycle:

• This is an internal process

• Think big mental shifts

• Yin & Slow Yoga

• Listen to podcasts that inspire you

  • (my favorite) We Can Do Hard Things, episode 139: No More Grind with Tricia Hersey

  • The Gathering Pod with Martha Beck

  • Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris

• Journal

  • What are your dreams telling you?

  • Imagine your ideal day five years from now. Visualize it and write it all out. (hint: There are NO rules! And that’s okay.)

As we let our former selves dissolve, may we take time to dream big before leaping into the unknown. May we take the time to remember some magic in our own lives and may we give ourselves space to not rush this season either! The time for action is coming. But for now, we stay quiet and we listen to the whispers that show us our heart’s desires.

With love,

Liz