Cathy Liska We have been challenged, and because of that, we have built strength. 
A caterpillar spins its cocoon and is inside. Now imagine a young child on a walk with a parent and they see this caterpillar spinning the cocoon. They carefully carry the cocoon home to watch what happens. The child is very curious and very excited. The child asked their parent if the caterpillar is going to suffocate. The parents said no, no, that is their process. That is how it works for them. The child continues to watch the cocoon. Then one day, they look at the cocoon. The child notices that there is all kinds of movement happening. The cocoon is wiggling around. The child asks what is happening. The parent explains it is time for it to come out! The child is watching absolutely fascinated. This is so exciting! Then they get worried and say, oh my goodness! It is working so hard, and they cannot get out! The child thinks they must help it. The child wants to help so very carefully helps pull away the outer strands of the cocoon to help it escape. Here is the big take away. It is the struggle of getting out of the cocoon that gives the butterfly’s wings strength to fly. By helping it, the child prevented that butterfly from building the necessary strength in its wings, and it could not fly.
We all face challenges. The struggles are what makes us stronger. Most of us know people that have experienced the ultimate pain from the pandemic, uprisings, or in the normal course of life. We also recognize that we are learning and building strength. When we look back at all that has occurred, we have a choice. We can get stuck and stay trapped, or we can build strength so that we fly when we come out of it. We can be strong for ourselves and strong for others.
For those certified in coaching, the training teaches us to invite the exploration of the learning and application for moving forward.
