The Butterfly Principles: 9 Steps to Transform Your Life

As I began making some changes in my life, I became increasingly drawn to butterflies. It was as if somewhere deep in my soul I knew that they had much to teach me. I had always appreciated the beauty of butterflies, and seen them as symbols of the new life that God makes possible, but suddenly I was seeing butterflies everywhere and even dreaming about them.

One of the things I learned about butterflies is that the transition from caterpillar to butterfly is not quick and easy. Perhaps you have heard the story of the man who watched a butterfly struggling to emerge from a small opening in its cocoon. The man saw how much difficulty the butterfly was having, and noticed that it seemed stuck, so he took a pair of scissors and carefully created a much larger opening. The butterfly soon emerged quite easily, but it had a large body and small, shriveled wings and could not fly. What the man did not realize is that the process of forcing its body through the tiny opening is what enables a butterfly to force fluid from its body into its wings and become capable of flight. His attempt to make life easier for the butterfly actually crippled it for life.

How often do we cripple ourselves in similar ways? We want change to be quick, easy, and painless, so we do things like buy miracle drugs that promise rapid weight loss without dieting or exercising. The reality is that meaningful, lasting change takes time and a lot of hard work. It is a process, not an instant event. I was inspired to use BUTTERFLY as an acronym for the steps involved in this transformation process.
Here are the 9 steps:

1. Begin by identifying which aspect of your life you want to change.
2. Understand that transformation is not easy and you will have setbacks.
3. Trust that with God’s help change is always possible.
4. Tell friends and/or family members about the change you plan to make.
5. Envision what your life will be like when you have accomplished the change.
6. Realistically assess what you will need to do and develop a detailed plan.
7. Follow your plan faithfully.
8. Learn from your setbacks and revise your plan as needed.
9. You did it! Celebrate and do what is necessary to maintain the change.

My hope is that these principles will serve as a helpful guide as you embark on your own personal journey of transformation. This step-by-step process is a tool which can help you achieve the change you desire, but like any tool, its effectiveness depends upon how it is used. Simply reading about change will not make it happen – you must apply what you learn. I wish you all the best as you begin the process of transforming your life!