Is your motivation flagging? Are you feeling creatively dry and a little apathetic? Maybe you’re ready to walk away from “work” entirely, sit down outside and watch the clouds go by? You are definitely not alone!
People, we are changing! I’m hearing this everywhere, from clients, students, friends. I feel it myself. Although the shifts feel big, there’s great uncertainty about where we’re heading. Our world is in a similar state: in flux and crisis, a reevaluation of practically everything. For many, this is a traumatic time. In the most benign circumstances, we feel like the days are repeating as we languish at home in our routines, alone or with an increasingly small circle of companions. The Groundhog Day references, which seemed clever at first, aren’t funny anymore as the pandemic persists. It’s a challenge to make progress and maybe you’re questioning why. Are you stagnating or cocooning to get ready for your transformative next phase?
Feeling unsure of the future is perfectly normal given present circumstances. The enormous changes we are going through collectively, mirror the cocoon phase in the lifecycle of a butterfly. Stay with me, I know the butterfly analogy is used a lot. But there’s a reason why; nature’s processes hold so much wisdom for us to follow. The chrysalis (or pupa) for butterflies is the stage of waiting. A lot is going on inside, but not much on the outside. Between the caterpillar and the butterfly stages it’s a gooey mess! Metaphorically speaking, it’s like that for a lot of us now too.
If you just try harder can you get to the next phase faster? Maybe. Much of the time, no.
Nature needs to take its course for butterflies and for us too. Don’t try and end this stage too soon. The discomfort of not knowing exactly what’s happening, and what the end goal is, is an important part of the process. These are initiatory times. Our society encourages us to be ambitious. We’ve been trained since we were kids to envision our career trajectories, where we want to be in five years, and to work flat out to reach our goals. Being in a period—sometimes a prolonged one—of sensing the ground shifting under our feet, but not knowing what’s going on, can be nerve wracking. For many of us, it’s a new experience to be in the midst of big changes but not know if or how we’re supposed to direct those changes. We’re developing new skills by staying in the state of unknowing.
Are you stagnating or cocooning, and how can you tell? When you’re in the middle of the larval goo it‘s often hard to know whether there’s more mess ahead or it’s time to muster the strength to break out and unfurl those gorgeous wings. Here are three ways to discern if you’re stagnating or cocooning while your butterfly forms:
- Listen to your Intuition. In uncertain times it’s especially important to stay balanced. Use logic and reason, and also listen to your intuition. Create time for silence to hear what your wise inner self says about what you need right now. You may not always be able to have it when you want it (this is where logic and reason come in) but listen to your instinctive voice about being in this moment and in your next phase with as much equilibrium as possible. Ask, What do I need right now?
- Be honest about what motivates you. If it’s primarily fear, perhaps you’re in a stagnation place and need some help getting out of it. But don’t underestimate how much timing can be out of our control. Stagnation can happen when you do nothing internal or externally. It’s not stagnation if you are taking deliberate action (even within your thoughts), even if you have yet to see results manifest externally. It’s also not stagnation if you crave rest after a long period of intense work or crisis management, and don’t have your usual levels of energy for work, play, or other activities. This is allowing natural timing and cycles to play out.
- What would nature do? Look to nature as a model. Stagnant energy builds when there’s not an appropriate flow. It isn’t the same as stillness. When you feel stagnant, ask yourself, “Is this a natural cycle, a period of less direction and more stillness?” The language we use is important. Stagnation has a negative connotation; stillness a positive one. Is it time for you to be still? Nature knows how to work hard and rest well. Nature understands that we need time to develop underground before we burst up through the soil and bloom. Nature sleeps. If you’re worried about stagnation or lack of energy or motivation, ask if you simply need a fallow, dormant, hibernation type phase. Again, you may not be able to have exactly what you want when you want it. But listening to what your body and spirit are telling you is the first step. Listen, acknowledge, and go from there.
Listen to your intuition and personal spiritual guidance, explore your motivations, and look to the rhythms of nature as your guide. You are not alone. If you’re struggling in this way or others, remember that you have wisdom within you, and there are other resources you can turn to for help. Nature is one of them, but trained practitioners of all kinds can also help when you need guidance or healing.
© 2021 Mara Bishop
