Cocoon.
In my eyes, a cocoon is both intriguing and frustrating, underrated and overrated…this one little thing can foster such incredible development, but if not shaken when the time comes, can also hinder potential. Indeed, what a strange paradox this simple piece of nature showcases for us all…everything has a time, reason, and purpose..but beyond those constraints, even that which is positive has a way of evolving into a twisted curse that in no way resembles beauty or magnificent creation.
I’m certain you’re not surprised to hear that I’ve not spent much time observing cocoons in the wild. I think it works as a perfect analogy, however, as just like caterpillars, so many of us go through a final stage of metamorphosis that allows us to flourish…of course, human life and growth is a bit more complicated than the developmental process of insects, as I find that as we continue to discover more about ourselves, we’re constantly being transformed through subsequent stages of personal “metamorphosis.”
As a little kid, I remember doing science experiments with bugs…once I purchased a little box of Mexican jumping beans…the whole concept of jumping “beans” is kind of gross. The bean itself is actually a seed, and a small insect inside is jumping around, trying to get cool…anyway, in the end, a moth comes out of that seed. I guess you could call it a “replacement” cocoon of sorts, but why in the world that seems like a suitable toy for kids to play with is beyond me.
Anyway, as any inquisitive child is bound to do, I remember trying to cut into one of those beans, trying to figure out just what was in fact causing all of that commotion…unfortunately, when you cut into the “bean,” you find a half-developed insect…
Have you ever found yourself marveling at the potential of someone in your life? You think, “Whooooa! That person has something SO incredible inside of them!” Potential is an exciting thing, because it makes your heart beat fast and makes you feel inspired by those around you…it fills you with incredible anticipation for what you will witness coming out of their lives in the days, months, and years ahead.
Unfortunately, the high of potential only lasts so long…for after a while, you stop saying to yourself, “Wow, maybe someday he or she will make an incredible impact…” Instead, you begin to wonder to yourself, “Why is today too early to make an impact? Why can’t they emerge from the cocoon already?”
I don’t know about yourself, but patience isn’t my strong suit. I HATE waiting…regardless of what I’m waiting for. If I’m waiting at the doctor’s office, I just want the appointment to start and get it over with already. If I’m waiting for my plane, I nervously tap my foot as I wait for boarding to begin. I don’t like it when people say they’ll meet me somewhere at 6 P.M. and they don’t show up until 6:15 P.M. I don’t like to wait.
In some instances, waiting is the best possible thing to do, however. Think of Christmas morning…of course, as one watches the presents pile up underneath the tree, the desire to open them all immediately is triggered…yet, if that period of intense anticipation wasn’t allowed to take place, if all of those gifts were able to be opened immediately…Christmas morning would be much less exciting.
Sometimes, the same is true in “real life.” If we force people to become who we see them to be, if we try to pull their potential out of them…we might just get an underdeveloped human being. The incubation period is what allows a baby chicken to hatch a few weeks after the egg has been laid…but if we crack open the egg on week two, we won’t have a baby chicken…we’ll have a half-formed embryo.
On the flip side of this equation is the realization that if the baby chicken doesn’t have the strength to hatch when the time comes, he dies inside of the egg. The same is true for the caterpillar in the cocoon…if he doesn’t chew his way out of the safe haven in which he has developed, he will die. Guess what I’m about to say? Yep, humans are the same way. Okay, maybe we’re not talking life and death here…but I am taking about stunted growth, hindered development.
If you’ve ever spent any time with me, you’ve witnessed how much energy I have…lots. Some people interpret that as general psychosis, maybe some wonder if I have some sort of attention deficit disorder. I can assure you that neither is the case…rather, I love life. I love it a lot…we’re not talking about “personality” here. Personality and all of it’s facets are not tied to one’s zeal for life…I refuse to think that some are naturally inclined to love their lives and to work to better them, while others simply never receive the desire to do so.
That energy…that passion…comes from a simple root, one desire…to live every single moment I’ve got to the fullest. There are days when I don’t feel like loving life, where I don’t feel like putting on a happy face, where I don’t feel like taking a risk or trying something new…but if I were to live my life based on my silly feelings, I’d never have done anything with my life. I can absolutely guarantee you that if my feelings were what I based everything on, I would not be writing to you from Paris, France today…I wouldn’t be going on four years of living in Europe…I’d be back at home in my parents’ basement.
Some days, guess what? I don’t love Paris. Some days I HATE Paris. I miss good customer service, and I miss friendly smiles, and I miss American dollar bills…why do they think it’s a good idea to give you coins that are worth 2 euros? Seriously!? I just lose them!
But, that’s not where the buck stops. Just because one day is crappy, one day is tricky, one day isn’t so much fun…that doesn’t mean that my life isn’t valuable, that the experiences I’m having aren’t worthwhile…it just means that sometimes, we’ll experience frustration, welcome to the real world.
Attitude is a choice…and so is the decision to BE the biggest person you can be. Rather than focusing on all of the scary moments, the things I don’t understand…I choose to look at what I do understand, what I can comprehend. You choose to live big because you’re capable of doing it, not because it feels good, or is easy to accomplish.
If you find yourself in some sort of “cocoon,” I’d encourage you to do your best to chew out now. Maybe you don’t feel ready, maybe you’re scared, maybe life seems a bit uncertain…suck it up, grow a pair, and go! Did I just write grow a pair? Oh buddy.
Comfort zones are meant to be left behind…because guess what? What you think is outside of your comfort zone today will be tomorrow’s comfort zone once again…at one time, ordering a baguette in a French boulangerie took twenty minutes of “planning” time, where I recited what I’d say to the lady behind the counter…”Une baguette s’il vous plaît” felt like some sort of epic tongue twister. Today, I don’t think twice about buying a stupid loaf of bread.
Yeah, I know, it’s a silly example…but I promise, the fear of ordering that bread was once a very real thing.
Maybe you’re afraid of expressing your emotions? Bite the bullet and go for it. Talk to a friend you trust, and instead of talking about the weather, explain what you’re feeling. Maybe you’d like to try for some big, new goal but you’re afraid of what people will say? Um, let go of your fear of what others will think and GO for it.
Because here is the simple reality…you can live your life in this little, judgment-free cocoon…where nobody says anything negative about you, where you aren’t asked to do anything scary or big or uncomfortable…and you’ll fit right in with the crowd.
But imagine what your life could be if you made the choice to come out of the little tube you’re calling home. What if you decided to live bigger, to challenge yourself to encounter other people in a real way? What if you just spoke truth to the next person you met, rather than hiding behind the shield, the facade of what’s comfortable? What if you put yourself out there?
You might scare the living daylights out of yourself with the amount of potential you’ve got stored inside of you.
Unlike a caterpillar, you don’t have to stay inside a cocoon until you’re absolutely perfect, and ready to emerge. You are constantly in development, so if you’ve got the tiniest bit of development already accomplished, you’re ready to make a change, to live bigger. So, just do it…or not. Suffocate inside the cocoon, telling yourself one day you’ll be ready to finally make an impact, one day you’ll make a change, one day you’ll be who you want to be.
I’m afraid that one day comes way too quickly…by the time you finally feel ready, you may have missed so many things you could have impacted, influenced, and changed. Don’t wait for one day…but make your one day, today. I promise, your underdeveloped cocoon isn’t as “underdeveloped” as you think. It’s time to emerge…for me, and for everyone else who so badly wants to see what you’re capable of accomplishing.
You’ve got such a way with words! I love how you’re always living for your dreams and encrouaging others to do the same!
And once again, I can’t spell. Encouraging. Give me a break, it’s early