A Blue Morpho butterfly in Costa Rica.
I have an affinity for butterflies. When I was in Costa Rica in April of this year, I saw so many incredible blue-winged little creatures dancing in the glinting light along the jungle canals of Tortuguero while I was kayaking. When they closed their wings, they became nearly impossible to see due to their brown camouflage that looks a bit like the eye of an owl. They would catch my attention out of the corner of my eye, and I became rather enamored with their easy grace and elegance. I also took it as a sign of good luck when a butterfly would sit upon my shoulder for a quick rest before moving along on their way.
The Blue Morpho butterfly has an excellent brown camouflage, making it very difficult to spot when it so chooses.
I am also fascinated by the butterfly’s transformation process. The butterfly goes through four stages of metamorphosis that are markedly different from one another. First, the butterfly is laid as an egg on top of leaves that will serve as it’s first meal when it ready to enter the larva or caterpillar stage. As a caterpillar, the main goal is to continuously eat and grow in preparation for adulthood. The pupa stage occurs several weeks later when the caterpillar is ready to spin a silken cocoon around it’s body in order to protect itself as it transitions into becoming a beautiful adult butterfly. As an adult, the butterfly can no longer grow, and instead, it’s energy goes toward the mating process and taking flight.
One of my favorite mentors, Dr. Christian Conte, taught me the four stages of change, which I believe relate well to the transformation process of the butterfly. The first is pre-contemplation, in which one is not yet aware of any problems that require change. A person enters into the stage of contemplation once he or she becomes aware of a choice to be made, but he or she is not yet ready to commit one way or another. In this stage, one is often stuck in terms of not yet knowing what the best path is for him or herself. At the point that a decision has been made, many people make the mistake of skipping the third and immensely important stage of preparation. In order to be successful in making the changes that one wants in his or her life, it is necessary to prepare oneself mentally, emotionally, and physically for the fourth stage of taking action. Much like the butterfly’s stages of change, we must prepare ourselves for the transformation we seek to enact in our lives, and when we are ready, it will be our time to fly, too.
This past year, I visited five countries (Costa Rica, Peru, Scotland, Germany, and Holland); I started my own business; I created the Nora Ann Shannon Endowment Fund in support of The Downing Clinic at UNR; I adopted a doggy I named Rollo May, after one of my favorite Existentialist psychotherapists; my weight yo-yo’ed up, down, and all around; I became a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) for children; I bought an amazing house; I met many new and wonderful friends, deepened my friendships with those I have known for years upon years, and I let go of some friends with bittersweet parting of ways. As I went through my year, there were moments that felt more like trudging through mud rather than floating like a butterfly, but as I look back, I am filled to the brim with complete and utter gratitude for the good, the bad, and the ugly moments, which have all culminated to bring me to THIS moment, in the here and now.
As I move forward into 2014, I believe I am about to leave the pupa stage and emerge back into the world as a butterfly, ready to spread my wings and soar. I have set the foundation for the next steps in my process of becoming, and now, it is a matter of putting the plans into action! I have had three locations chosen to potentially bring my private practice into life, but it is the fourth location that is finally going to come together!
The first location I had picked out was too expensive and made my CPA cringe as he looked at my financial portfolio trying to sustain such a massive hit. The second location was too run down, and despite my hope of being able to save money, my investment would not have had the return I was hoping for. The third location was the house that I decided to buy in August. The house itself is an incredible investment, but try as I might, the plans to turn it into my private practice just wouldn’t come together. A major issue that I couldn’t seem to resolve was how to put two additional parking spots onto my very small lot, which was a necessary step in transforming my residential property into a commercial venture. After having made the investment and commitment to the property, I felt as if I had everything on the line in attempting to make it work as I had hoped it could, but as the months have gone by, my hopes had begun to flag.
“One’s destination is not a place, but a new way of seeing things.”
– Henry Miller
However, I have been presented with a new fork in the road that will allow for my private practice to come to life without the complications that felt like insurmountable obstacles in my path. I have struck a business deal with a dear friend of mine that will be a symbiotically wonderful partnership for both of us. I cannot yet share the details of this plan, but as soon as we have our t’s crossed and have dotted our i’s, we will be very excited to announce the changes that are in store! I apologize that I cannot currently be any more specific than this, but I CAN promise that it is beyond my wildest dreams to co-create what is to come! I am ecstatic to accept the job I have just taken on, and I do believe the community of Reno will greatly benefit in the bigger picture!
In addition to the physical foundation of my business changing, one of my closest friends allowed me the opportunity to develop what we have come to fondly call,“The Shannon Method,”a 30 day challenge aimed at becoming healthy and happy.
In the upcoming weeks, stay posted for learning about our transformation process as we went through it week by week, which will hopefully give way to inspiring each and every one of you to guide yourselves toward feeling better in the new year, too. As you make your resolutions for change, keep in mind what stage of change you believe you might be in, and alter your resolutions accordingly.
Perhaps it is time to simply acknowledge the choices that are in front of you, but be mindful of the obstacles that you would need to prepare yourself to overcome prior to taking action in one direction or another.
When you are ready, you will not be alone in your struggle. That is part of the preparation work in ensuring you have a strong social circle to help you stay accountable to yourself and your hopes and dreams. Moreover, the Sierra Sunrise Wellness Group will be teaming with our new business partner in being able to provide Wellness Workshops to the community at an affordable rate in order to make the journey to health a bit less scary and whole lot more likely to lead to success! Good luck, and HAPPY NEW YEAR! :) :)
“Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”
– Carl Jung
Nora Ann Shannon, M.A., MFT-Intern
For an appointment, please call: 1 (775) 224-0703
or email: nshannon@sierrasunrisewellness.com
Well said. May ur wings continue spread Nora