The other day, I heard someone say "the butterflies are everywhere." She meant it literally, noticing the sheer number of winged creatures constantly dipping in and out of her summer garden.
But here's how I heard it the first time:
"The butterflies are everywhere. People are nervous, people are anxious, their stomachs tied in knots. It's hard to tell from one day to the next what to expect as the stock market hiccups, the economic news sounds grim, and our friends are either overworked or underemployed. The butterflies of uncertainty are indeed everywhere."
Well, that attitude got me depressed. So I got up, took a walk, and when I returned to my office, armed myself with a more useful point-of-view:
"The butterflies are everywhere. Look at all the people I know who were inching along as caterpillars and are now soaring ahead, making interesting choices that best show off the beauty of their wings. Notice how much opportunity we're taking advantage of everyday for creativity and experimentation, from our Facebook posts to what we decide to cook for dinner. Yes, the butterflies are everywhere--thank god."
I guess the moral of the story is that seeing more butterflies gave me fewer butterflies.
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