One Step – Noticing the Signs
How do you get messages from your guides? I don’t pray for answers, but I do actively look for meaning in whatever is happening around me. In this story, I encountered several butterflies, and it took several times before their message finally landed. The episode was first published in 2019, and the Japanese is now available here. 日本語はこちら→
One Step
I was walking along a grassy section near the riverbank and enjoying the spring flowers when a small white butterfly landed in the middle of the path right in front of me. I stopped, too. I thought about taking a picture, but it flew away before I could move.
I resumed my walk, and within seconds noticed a yellow butterfly flying by my side. The butterfly circled around and landed right in front of me. I stopped one step away from the butterfly. We shared a moment, and then it flew away.
And then, it happened again. What was so interesting about this path? Why were the butterflies stopping on it and not on any of the spring flowers blooming nearby?
The butterflies had my attention. Since butterflies are commonly associated with transformation, I wondered if these butterflies were showing up in my path to let me know a transformation was on the way. Or perhaps they were encouraging me to acknowledge a transformation I have just come through.
I continued my walk, actively looking for and watching the butterflies. What was their message for me today?
Once again, a butterfly circled around and landed one step away from me in the middle of the path. I stopped. A slow grin spread across my face, and I felt my heart surge in gratitude for the butterfly lesson:
Transformation is one step away.
Transformation sounds like this big, long process wrought with pain, struggle, and monumental effort – something you want to avoid but are grateful for once you get to the other side. But what if it was as easy as taking one step? What if transformation was only one step away?
The butterfly on the path in front of me took off. I stood there a few minutes and then took the next step.
The English version of this story was first published in 2019 in 365 Soulful Messages, a book by over 200 authors available on Amazon.
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About the Author:
Hi! I’m Marci. I’ve lived in Japan for over 30 years, blending tech, language, and healing in my work. Through caregiving for my father-in-law with Alzheimer’s and supporting my husband’s cancer recovery, I discovered the importance of yoyu—having the time, energy, and emotional reserves to thrive. Now, I share these insights through writing, coaching, and creative projects. My upcoming memoir, Otosan, tells the story of those five transformative years. Let’s connect and create more yoyu in our lives!
