Cocoons are nature's way of protecting the metamorphous of a butterfly however we tend to use cocoons in a different way. Not for growing into something new and greater than the old self but to protect ourselves from harm.
Every hurt and disappointment that we feel deeply creates a new strand of protection around us to prevent it from happening again. Some might call it a hardening of the heart. It is natural to try and avoid being hurt but at what cost.
When we wrap ourselves in a protective cocoon we lose the ability to feel someone else or ourselves reaching out. When we feel something touch our cocoon it brings to mind our fear of being hurt again and so we reject it and push it away. We will not allow anyone or anything to be that close to us again.
Over time the cocoon instead of a nurturing stage becomes a hardened coffin of our feelings. We are frozen in our personal growth. To grow we need to take the chance of being hurt just like we learned how to walk; with the fear of being hurt but determined to continue until it no longer pains us.
Only by working through our fears can we grow.
Your thoughts?
8 conversations:
If you don't get some bruises in life you are not living it too its fullness.
Thanks Dick for your add
Oh so true and I've hidden in my own cocoon a time or two or five. I try not to do this anymore, but I'm sure that I still retreat there from time to time. Great post Peter. Have a great day my friend. :)
yes Sandee we need to recoup from time to time as long as we don't stay there too long :)
We get so comfortable inside the cocoon that we forget that without growth and a few setbacks we haven't really lived at all
very true Random Magus
Hi Peter...
Very nice anology! I think it is true... we often hide inside our cocoon, or our shell for protection yet if we don't come out we miss life!
It is such a human trait to want to remove ourselves from hurt and sorrow...
Thank you for the reminder to not let that cocoon be a permanent home!
:-)
JJ
thanks Jen need to remind myself from time to time :)
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