Last week the butterfly migration had everyone in South Africa enthralled and enchanted. Day after day, clouds of white butterflies could be seen flying towards the East. (if weren’t here to see it, you can read about it and watch some stunning clips here.) They navigated their way between the high-rise office blocks that line the urban streets, across busy roads and intersections, and through the parks and gardens of suburbia. Undeterred by scorching heat, downpours of rain and hail and the birds who feast upon them, the survivors just kept going; flying their journey of thousands of miles to Madagascar via Mozambique.
There’s a reason butterflies are a well-worked symbol of redemption, of hope triumphing over adversity, of change and of rebirth, and last week was a reminder of this. It was an opportunity for us all to appreciate and be inspired by the beauty, wonder and wisdom of nature.
But it wasn’t only the symbolism and determination of the butterflies that enchanted so many of us; it was also the fact that we just loved watching and talking about them. And in a world that often feels decidedly unbeautiful, unwonderful and unwise, it’s nice to have something that makes us feel good for a while – an opportunity to appreciate and connect over something that inspires and excites us all.
Coaches often talk about the importance of ‘feelgoods’ – the simple but effective things that we can do for ourselves that make us feel good. We urge our clients – every day, but particularly when times are tough – to consciously and mindfully do at least one thing every day that lifts our spirits.
- Take a few minutes to really enjoy your morning cup of tea or coffee rather than mindlessly chugging it down while you rush around in a whirlwind of activity and anxiety.
- Stop and smell the roses – or the coffee, the freshly cut grass, the rain, or anything else that tickles your scent-buds.
- Share a smile with a stranger.
- Look for pockets of beauty; they’re not hard to find in this weirdly wonderful place we call home.
The butterflies have moved on for this year, but I hope that their legacy will remain, and continue to inspire us all to look for and do things that make us happy.
Show yourself some love this month by consciously doing things that make you feel good.
Here’s to a feelgood February,
Judy
