The Trapped Butterfly Story

         As I was talking a break from my work today, I took a moment to close my eyes and breathe. Initially all I could hear was the boisterous bustle of the traffic outside my window, and so I began focusing even further and soon I was able to filter out all else and concentrate just on my thoughts. It was just then, that a sound of fervent fluttering made me take notice. I looked around and found the source was a small trapped butterfly that has somehow managed to get into my room. Immediately I sprung into action opening up all the windows and doors in an attempt to make an easy exit for the it. But in vain, the butterfly simply continued trying it's strength at my ceilings hoping to find an nonexistent opening. Thinking it will eventually figure it's way to freedom, I resumed my mediation forgetting about the fluttering therefore. 

      My day passed quickly, as I become engrossed more and more in my work. It was a productive day and as usual I had crossed off about seventy percent of my over ambitious to-do list, knowing well in advance that I would probably only be able to get this far anyways. Feeling content I cleared my desk and got ready for a well-deserved somber. Then once again, the trapped butterfly from earlier has found its way into my field of vision. It was doing the exact same thing it was doing a few hours ago when I had last noticed it - flapping resiliently all around the house pressed up against the ceiling. By now I was a bit amused for the poor butterfly, but all I could do was watch as it, as it was way out of my reach to try any other means of rescue. The doors were still wide open as well as the windows, and its pretty hard to not sense the gentle guiding waft of wind that was flowing throughout the house. It was then that my mind had a small realization of sorts.

     

      There comes a time in everyone's life that the feeling of being trapped becomes an all too familiar experience much to our disdain. There comes a time in everyone's life that even though the choices and decisions are very much obvious, we choose to be hind sighted to all whats been staring us in the face. There comes a time in everyone's life that we get ourselves into a situation or place that we so wish a billion times infinity that we could have a do-over for the small fraction of a second that could have made for a possibly different outcome. But you see, these situations are somehow inevitable and we are forced to come to terms with what's been and the next thing you know we all become trapped butterflies in our own unique ways. 

       But I ask, why does it become so hard sometimes to sense that which can so easily can be defined as commonsense? Well, the answers to life are never simple are they? Of course they are simple! But its just us, the incarnations of Albert Einstein in the form of a monkey with a coconut shell, complicating the simplest of things into the most elaborate of equations and theories and fractals and formulas and algorithms, all the while the answer sheet is doing the salsa on our blackboards. Ha! Well, enough with the critical analysis, what's your point you may ask? It is that when life gives you lemons, make lemonade? Not exactly. Here comes the fork road where one road is leading to what your mind is telling you to do, and the other the calling of the heart. Which one? Take-a-breather, and tune in with your senses, quite literally! We are all equipped with what they call as "6th sense", "gut feeling", "subconscious mind", "third eye", whatever maybe your game, these are all essentially referring to the same. Ha that rhymes! Yea so, the solution. Write it down buddy. (Though I can't give the same advice to poor Mr. trapped butterfly in my room, I can tell you to do so, well simply because you have hands and have hopefully learnt how to write in some language over the years!) Make a list of all the possible choices, and leave space under each one. Now go back and fill in the space the whys and who's of that decision, meaning why you have to make that choice and who would be happy if this choice was chosen in the end. Now go back, cross off all the decisions that don't have your name under the who's. Narrowed it down? Yup. Take a hard look at the list, according to you, you say you would be happy doing any of these? Do eenie-meenie then! But!!! But what? Kidding right? Yea, duh! Now time for a different list, this time rewrite the narrowed down choices again leaving space under it. Now really think about this. You really have to "sense" the reasons. Turn on those primordial instincts and figure out the direction of the gentle guiding wind, metaphorically of course. What does that even mean? Imagine that all the other who's of that decision did not exist. Close your eyes and imagine the outcome of that decision precisely keeping you as the only character in this conjuring. Let your self experience all the emotions clearly as if they were happening to you right now at this moment. Feel something? Write it down in the blank space exactly all what you felt. Then rewrite the reason from before underneath it, incorporating into it the need to feel all what you just felt. By the time you finish this petty list of yours, you will no doubt literally open your eyes and see the answer staring you in the face. Dear Mr. butterfly, please stop the fluttering of yours, take a chill pill and take notice of any of the two gigantic openings in my walls that could set you free forever and ever. Now, wasn't that simple?! 

       How can I be so sure, that while giving you all this advice and pushing you to make a choice, that you wont come back to me to rant about it if something goes wrong? Because I know nothing can go wrong. The so-obvious choice that you have narrowed down following all the above said steps, can't be wrong! If you have put that much thought and reason into any decision you make and as a consequence you were happy to make it, it will be well-worth it, trust me! When you have your whys straight and the only who is you, you are in a good place my friend. Any small inkling of self-doubt that you think you might get regarding this matter in the future can eat dirt! Because, honestly the decision you chose was made so strong that it could win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Ta-da! So what do you have to lose? Absolutely nothing! Let the happiness be your guide and make it one hell of a journey! Happy escaping to you all!