The Lesson of the Butterfly

A man spent hours watching a butterfly struggling to emerge from its cocoon. It managed to make a small hole, but its body was too large to get through it. After a long struggle, it appeared to be exhausted and remained absolutely still.

The man decided to help the butterfly and, with a pair of scissors, he cut open the cocoon, thus releasing the butterfly. However, the butterfly’s body was very small and wrinkled and its wings were all crumpled.

The man continued to watch, hoping that, at any moment, the butterfly would open its wings and fly away. Nothing happened; in fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its brief life dragging around its shrunken body and shrivelled wings, incapable of flight.

What the man – out of kindness and his eagerness to help – had failed to understand was that the tight cocoon and the efforts that the butterfly had to make in order to squeeze out of that tiny hole were Nature’s way of training the butterfly and of strengthening its wings.

Sometimes, a little extra effort is precisely what prepares us for the next obstacle to be faced. Anyone who refuses to make that effort, or gets the wrong sort of help, is left unprepared to fight the next battle and never manages to fly off to their destiny.

By Paulo Coelho

Hi, I’m Lauren.

I have experienced many changes throughout my life and career, some have been self-selected while others have been the result of someone else’s decision. I have learned how to transition from the familiar to the unknown whether the changes affected me personally or professionally. I use an approach that relies on the power of relationships to help individuals and organizations understand the barriers to moving forward and making change happen. I help them remain curious about how to accommodate the “people side of the change". When individuals are able to reflect on the changes in front of them, they raise their awareness of the reasons they are committed to remaining the same. Raising self-awareness creates opportunities to adapt and make the changes necessary.

A constant in my life has been change and it is through these experiences, I have come to understand the transition process that is necessary to move from where I was to where I needed to be with the least amount of disruption and have even come to believe that change brings about opportunities that I wouldn’t have been aware of had I stayed the same.

As I have navigated the changes in my life, sometimes more successfully than other times, I have come to realize the lasting life changing experiences come from my life itself; from the transitions I have had to manage where I relied more on what I felt in my heart and gut and not necessarily what I thought I knew in my head.

I have come to understand painful experiences that require change are really opportunities to pause and learn something new about myself and the strengths I possess. While change is bittersweet, I learned to lean into creating a new path in front of me rather than focus on the loss and regret that lay behind me.

These are my qualifications to be your coach.

I have advanced degrees and certificates that have contributed to the knowledge I possess, and I have years of experience at all levels in different organizations and industries, but my life experiences and the people I have had the privilege of meeting along the way, have been my greatest teachers.

I am excited to share with you the process that has made it possible for me to successfully navigate all the changes, personal and professional, I have experienced in my life. I look forward to being your guide as you learn about the potential that exists inside of you that is waiting to be seen.

Education and Certifications:

● Erikson Institute, Chicago, IL

○ Masters in Education

○ Certificate in Infant Mental Health

● University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN

○ Organizational Development Certificate

● St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN

○ B.A., Business Administration

Memberships and Acknowledgements:

  • Member of the Center of Excellence Consultation Council at Georgetown University

  • Member of Illinois Association of Infant Mental Health

  • Member of Tennessee Association of Infant Mental Health

  • Subject matter expert and lead writer on early childhood issue briefs for the Maternal and Child Health Bureau’s Health Resources and Services (HRSA)

  • Recognized as state leader and national contributor to Infant Mental Health in Early Childhood

  • Work featured in Hechinger Report and The New York Times