The Butterfly Stages of Success

By Cassandra George Sturges

 
You must define what success means to you otherwise you won’t know when you have arrived. “If you don’t know where you are going—anywhere will take you there.”

Find your Talent or Gift / The egg

The butterfly develops in four stages through a process called metamorphosis. The first stage is the egg. This is a very easy stage for butterflies because they will develop into their DNA coding. During the egg stage, the butterfly does not have to worry about turning into a duck, swan, chicken, or crocodile. They know their purpose. They do not have to find their purpose through trial and error or discover their talent or gift. The butterfly egg knows why it came to earth. The egg stage for humans represent knowing what they want to do with their life not simply being alive.

You can get a job waiting on tables, cleaning toilets, or working in a nursing home if you desperately need money. You can work two fast food jobs and rent a single room if you simply want to make money. The reason you are reading this book is not because you want to make money; you are reading this book because you want to be rich. You want to feel whole, complete, and satisfied about who you are as a human being. You want your life to be filled with joy, happiness, and purpose.

I once worked as a computer coach for underprivileged children in a public housing community. My job was to help the children who lived in the housing projects with their homework and teach them basic computer skills. Most days no one would show up for tutoring except the children from Laos.

I had an opportunity to talk to their parents on several occasions who explained to me why they were living in the public housing community. The mother told me that there were 6 adults all living in a one bedroom apartment working at various fast food restaurants saving their money to open a nail salon. Within the 3 year period that I worked as a computer coach while attending college, I had the opportunity to see their dream come to fruition and visit their nail salon. A few years later they opened two more nail salons.

What I love about this story so much is that they figured out how to make money. But they desired to be rich doing something that they love. They used money to make their dream come true. They were also able to bring more family members here to America; some family members volunteered to work in the nail salons; while others were now able to afford to go to college due to the financial success of the nail salons. I saw this family prevail to make their dreams come true with my own two eyes. Sometimes I think that people who are born and raised in America forget the value of hard work and sacrifice for a bigger dream.

If you know what you want to do with your life you are ready for the next stage. I don’t think that humans were created to make money. Making money is not a goal. Making money is the outcome of a goal that pleases others. You can make money doing anything—prostituting, pimping, stripping, selling drugs, preaching, singing, dancing, fighting, killing, teaching, cooking; I could go on forever listing things that you could do to make money. You can make a lot of money or little money doing just about anything you can think of.

How do you I know if it’s something I really want to do?

You will know without a single doubt in your mind when you have found your purpose when no matter how stressful, difficult, or challenging the task is—you want to dig in deeper. If you study the lives of extraordinary people you will find that they did not give up on their dreams when times were tough.

The secret that you must understand about this stage is that you cannot fake true passion and desire. You can’t be good at a task that you detest; not because you are incapable—but because your sincere dislike for it will make it difficult for you to remain focused and give your all when your soul is not interested.

You know you are meant to do something when you don’t mind doing the dirty job that most people hate; you don’t mind doing the same exact thing over and over again until its perfected; you would do it for free—money is not what motivates you—you feel blissfully alive simply from the act of doing.

Just remember this: the people who excel and become wealthy in most endeavors whether they are prostituting or performing brain surgery-- it is because they love what they do. And when a person truly and sincerely from the depths of their soul and heart love what they do-- they cannot help but to be better at it than most people (especially the people who are just doing it for the money), and to earn a higher income.

Unless you take the time to figure out what type of egg you are; you may make a lot of money but you will never be rich in spirit. You will always feel like something is missing in your life even while sitting in your mansion with bazillions of dollars in the bank.

If you are struggling to figure out which direction to get started in to find your purpose, take the Myers Briggs, Nine Types of Intelligence, and Left or Right Brain Dominance personality tests. I have included links to free assessment tools that will help you discover your natural talents, interests, and inclinations.

http://briggsmyerstest.com/

http://www.literacyworks.org/mi/assessment/findyourstrengths.html

http://www.personalitytest.net/quizzes/quiz3/

The Caterpillar-The Feeding Stage Hone Your Craft / Learn Everything You Can

The butterfly egg turns into a caterpillar. The caterpillar has one goal and that goal is to eat, and eat, and eat, and eat, and eat to grow 100 times their size.  This stage is very similar for humans in the sense that once you know who you are and why you are here you must be of the business of honing your craft and growing more into who you are and why you are here on Earth.

If you have decided that you are a guitarist you must learn everything you can about guitars and practice playing every day until your fingers bleed. If you have decided that you are a writer, you should learn everything there is to know about writing. You should develop the habit of writing each and every day before you retire. Writers write; singers sing; dancers dance—whatever you have decided to do you must now learn and practice with diligence as if your life depends on it.

No matter what it is that you have discovered that you want to do with your life—if you are not willing to put the time and effort into eating as much knowledge and experience as your soul can endure; you will never savior the sweet, rich nectar of the fruition of having your dreams come true.

The irony of this stage of development is that most people will find that they have very little money. 

You may find yourself in a demanding college program broke and physically exhausted. You may find yourself wishing for sleep more than money due to studying for long hours fueled only by peanut butter sandwiches on stale moldy bread. However, if you are on the right path, you will also feel exhilarated and determined to succeed because the information that you are feeding your soul is so enlightening and enriching that you know that there is nowhere else in the world that you would rather be.

Until you find that something that you enjoy doing so much that you don’t care if your fingers are raw from playing the guitar; your feet ache so much from dancing that they almost feel nonexistent; or you don’t mind singing it over, and over, and over again until you get it right—you will make money—but you will never be rich.

The main difference between having money and being rich is that you always feel rich from the act of being and doing even when there is no money; but you never feel psychologically and spiritually rich if you only have money. Money alone rarely brings about prestige, awards, respect, honor or personal happiness in and of itself. To truly enjoy money you must also enjoy everything that you chose to eat in the caterpillar / feeding stage in order to acquire it.

The Pupa ~ Transition Stage

Believe in the Unseen/ The Lonely Stage ***

Once the caterpillar is finished eating it turns into a pupa which is also called a chrysalis; its entire body is covered in a cocoon. This stage lasts from weeks to years depending on the butterfly species. It appears that the pupa is resting on its laurels hanging under a branch.  What is most interesting about this stage is that appears that nothing is happening from the outside. But in actuality this is the stage of transition where all of the changes are happening internally. The butterfly is developing its beautiful wings.

The pupa or cocoon is the most difficult stage of development for humans because the transformation that needs to take place is no longer a product of our daily actions. This is the stage where God, if you will or the Universe if you prefer, or Nature or whatever you feel comfortable calling this Source of Power must metamorphize the caterpillar into a butterfly.

You may begin to wonder if God has forgotten about you because nothing appears to be happening from the outside. You have mailed out hundreds of resumes and no one has called yet for a job interview; you wrote the book only to receive rejection after rejection; you have put together your best songs on your CD but you still can’t get a record deal. Whatever your case may be-- the point is that you have done everything within your human power to manifest your dream but nothing appears to be happening.

I can tell you from personal experience that it is absolutely essential that you maintain a positive attitude because this is when the Universe is working the hardest to put all of the pieces together that are outside of your control.

I worked for 13 years as a social worker while completing my graduate studies. Once I completed my doctorate degree I couldn’t find a higher paying job outside of the social work field that I was trying desperately to get out of. I took my doctorate degree and one of my master’s degree off of my resume in order to get a social work supervisor position to stop from being evicted from my apartment.

Several friends commented that it was ridiculous for me to get a doctorate degree in a field that only required a master’s degree to be promoted to the highest position. I was fired from my job as a social work supervisor to literally find a full-time teaching job within two weeks doing something that I absolutely love to do—not to mention that I tripled my salary as a psychology instructor.

In my darkest hours of crying myself to sleep each night, I started to doubt whether or not my dreams would ever come true. But what I didn’t know is that the woman who would hire me was completing her doctorate degree and being elected department chair. Additionally, the school had just hired a new vice president and a new union president had just won. It was necessary for all three of these people to be in their positions at the time I was fired. They were all on my hiring committee in a very close selection. I know without a doubt in my heart that without the department chair, the union president, and the new vice president I would not have gotten the job I love. God was putting these pieces together behind the scene. The Universe was positioning all of the players in place to help me make the winning shot.

When you are in the cocoon stage remember that everything that is happening on the outside is bigger than you. The caterpillar is swaddled in the cocoon of nature’s love and it knows to stop searching and just be. It knows that it cannot turn itself into a butterfly.

This is the stage of being still in your spirit and believing with all of your heart and soul that all of your hard work will pay off. This is the stage where you will develop your inner strength and new psycho self-image before you emerge as a butterfly. You cannot become a butterfly if you still have a caterpillar mentality.

While in the cocoon stage of development you will find yourself isolated and alone from other people who have the same interests or talent as you do. You are no longer a caterpillar and not yet a butterfly. No one wants you to do back up singing for them because they do not want you to outshine them as this would have been appropriate in the caterpillar learning stage. But now you are ready for the big time and the Universe is putting together the pieces for the perfect role designed specifically for you and your talents. 

The secret to the cocoon stage is to tie a knot and hang on as tight as you can. You may find yourself going through some very turbulent times—accidents, death of loved ones, broken bones, break-ups and so forth. On the other hand, you will find yourself losing or gaining weight, changing your hairstyle, and or selecting a new style of clothes. Changes in your life circumstances will bring about a new self-image.  While your spirit is nestled in the dark cocoon remember to be still and patient and wait on Nature / God to bring about the light. The cocoon shell represents all of the things that will shed from your life in order for you to emerge as the beautiful butterfly.

This is the most vulnerable stage for the butterfly because this is the stage with the highest death rate. This is also the most delicate stage for humans. This is the stage where many people give up on their dreams because of their limited view of the darkness inside of the cocoon. Remember to be still and have faith that everything you have asked for has already been given to you. Remove any negative people from your life; remain extremely positive and be grateful for everything that is good in your life.

Please remember that no matter how traumatic these changes are they are designed to keep you very still so that the Universe is able to change the things that you cannot control.

Butterfly Wings: You have arrived to Your Dream

If all goes well, the caterpillar will emerge from the cocoon with big colorful wings. The wings will allow it to travel to places that its previous tiny caterpillar legs could never begin to imagine. You will know that the cocoon stage is over when you find yourself exposed to new people, places, and things that you never knew existed.

Beautiful, luxurious windows of opportunity will be open to you that you will now fly through with ease; where you will flutter through the garden of riches and abundance and suckle the nectar of your dreams. You will realize that the windows were always there-- it’s just that you were incapable seeing them in your previous stages of development. The caterpillar and the butterfly will never share the same view. 

One is not inferior to the other, it’s just that life experiences and development will determine how and where they travel.  You will find yourself mingling with new friends and acquaintances. You may yearn to spend time with old friends but this may be impossible because they do not yet have wings.

How to Make a Sock Doll Mermaid DIY Pattern - Why we cannot see Mermaids

Why We can’t see Mermaids

Greetings Dollings, in this Mermaid sock doll tutorial, I am going to show you how to make my Geraldine Mermaid Sock Doll step by step. To make this fashion mermaid sock doll you will need  a single pair of knit fabric socks, Mountain Mist or Morning Glory Fiberfil, a doll needle, upholstery  thread, gesso, paint, hair weave,  performance stretch fabric, tulle, 16 gauge wire, plastic doll joints.

“Make a doll come to Life”

By Cassandra George Sturges

People are always asking the question whether mermaids are real. However, you can’t answer this question without first asking yourself, “What is reality?” and whose reality are we seeking to manifest. Are they wondering whether they can catch a mermaid and put it in a gigantic fish tank or mount their stuffed bodies next to the deer on the wall in their home to show off to their friends? 

Or better yet, would humans put them on display in aquariums at the zoo, or force them to join the traveling circus so people could make fun of their bodies and stare at them?   When scientists determine whether or not a mermaid is real do they mean that unless they can dissect it, label it, and put it in under a microscope to inspect every piece of its body until every grain of life value and dignity is dissolved in the lab—therefore it is not real?

For simplicity’s sake, let’s just all agree that reality is a shared collective experience of events. We believe that lions, birds, dogs, whales, airplanes, helicopters, and seahorse exist because we have seen them before either in person or via images through the media. Just because we can’t see a mermaid on our terms it does not mean that they are not real. If I were to ask you to imagine a mermaid, there are very few people in this world who would not come up with a very similar image in their head.

 

 

 Most of us would envision a torso and head of a human woman on the top half, and the bottom half of her body starting at her waist would look like a fish. How is it possible that so many people can envision a mermaid if they do not exist on some realm of consciousness and reality. The question is not whether mermaids exist because we know that there are pictures, painting, drawings, sculptures, statues, and sightings of mermaids that have been documented since human existence.

 If I asked people to give me a visual description of God, or a Supreme Being, I bet most people in the world could not agree on what He or She look like; and I am only speaking of people who actually believe in God. Therefore, I would like people to rethink the question about the reality of the existence of mermaids. The question is why mermaids don’t  reveal themselves in a manner so that humans can interact with them.

Mermaids do not have atomic bombs, guns, or other methods to kill themselves they just want to be. They want simply to enjoy the beauty of the oceans, lakes, rivers, and seas that represent the womb of life on earth. Nevertheless, humans have infringed upon the quality of their life because of the manner of which we are contaminating the aquatic environment and destroying planet earth.

As a doll artist, I don’t understand why I am making mermaid dolls of all the millions of creatures and things to sew and create. However, there is one thing that I do respect and understand at this juncture in my life and that is: God expresses Herself through us if we remain quiet and listen. He gave us free-will, to exist or not to exist. The Universe will never tell us how to exist. The mermaid message that is coming through my spirit is asking humans to please do our part and take care of this of this planet and please to share the earth.

Mermaid Sock Doll Pattern

Cloth Doll Story Time - Sock Doll Josephine Talks about Love, Loss and Betrayal

While making my sock doll Josephine, she would not stop talking and telling me her story. Even though  technically I created her this doll from socks, she (Josephine ) chose me to bring her to life and share her doll story. 

 I know this may seem creepy to some people, but Josephine and I do not share the same views about men, women, cheating, and relationships.  I would personally leave him...but this is not my story--this is Josephine's story.

If you are interested in this DIY sock doll pattern tutorial, please click the link below for step by step, instructions on how to make Josephine a doll made using a single pair of socks.

~~~

Josephine’s story was translated by Cassandra George Sturges

“I was named after my daddy. His name was Joseph. He wanted a boy so that he could name his son after himself. I guess like most men. Ok.. but check this out.. My daddy wanted a boy so bad that he bought baby and toddler t-shirts, baseball caps, pants, blankets, shirts, toys… all kind of stuff with the name Joseph written on it. 

When I was born, I was told that my father threw up from disappointment—not only because he wanted a boy—but because he said that I was the ugliest baby that he had ever seen.  My daddy always told me that he was cursed –when it came to having kids because after I was born he had 4 more girls.

I  don’t know if my parents couldn’t afford to buy new baby clothes or  they just didn’t care enough—but all of my belongings until the age of 5 have the name Joseph embroidered, typed, or stamped on them—but the letters, I, N, and E are written on the end, barely legible with a black Sharpie marker.

I came into this world unwanted. My mother had babies to keep my father interested in her and hopeful that one day he would be blessed with a son.  She wasn’t a bad mother.  I mean …She fed us. She kept us clean… but there was never any question about who she loved unequivocally and unconditionally. When I was younger, I felt that my father only tolerated women to take care of his physical, biological needs, and that my mother was a victim of unrequited love. But the older I got… the more I grew to understand that this was not totally untrue.  However, we will talk more about that later.

 YouTube Audio of Josephine's story

We weren’t allowed to eat until my father had eaten, including second and third helpings. Sometimes my mother would order pizza for my sisters and I because my father wanted to save left overs for his lunch the next day.

My father had never been late for dinner in my entire life. He had never spent a  single night out of our family home, and he signed his entire paycheck over to my mother every Friday, as soon as he walked in the door from work, and placed it on the kitchen table.

My mother was a homemaker who only worked inside of the home. She never took time off. My mom never watched television or go out to lunch with friends. She was always cleaning, folding clothes or doing something around the house. She made breakfast for all us before we awakened in the morning, packed our lunches, and prepped dinner before taking us to school. She kissed us on the forehead, told us to be good and do our best, and drove away each morning never looking back. I rather envied the kids whose moms waited outside until they were completely inside of the school building.

A fire broke out at my father’s job.  Almost  everyone was able to evacuate the building. Barricaded in the basement, the janitor was unable to leave the burning building. When my father realized that, the janitor was still in the building he went back in to save his life. He carried the janitor’s limp body up three flights of stairs before lifting him out of the window to the awaiting firefighters.  Before my father could jump out of the window himself, flames engulfed his entire body. 

When they called to tell my mother, what had happened to her husband—the only man she had ever kissed, she never stopped chopping the onions—She never shed a single tear… She simply said, ”Yes, I understand, I guess God needed him more than the girls and me. Thanks for calling. Have good day...”

She told us that our father would not be home for dinner and briefly explained to us what happened to him at work, while removing his place setting from the table. We never spoke about my father again.

The other girls teased me excessively in high school. Someone asked me once, while waiting in line for lunch, “How does it feel to be the ugliest girl in school?” I pitied her for asking such a mundane question. The black and ugly jokes were so unoriginal, boring, and unintelligent that I never wasted one moment contemplating the validity of the opinion of people who did nothing for me. 

I was taught to believe that ugly is the observable behavior of a person who lacks confidence in him or herself and have not found their place in the world.” Make yourself useful and the world will see your beauty,” my parents always preached to my sisters and me.

The girls in high school were jealous of me because the most handsome guy in the school was friends with me. Every girl in high school had a crush on him. They batted their eyes and switched their hips in hopes that he would glance at them--even if he didn't bother to speak back. He has always been good-looking and he knew it. I mean... he isn't some average good-looking guy. No. No. No My husband has supernatural good looks...God's Masterpiece for masculinity.

He is so good-looking-- that he is cursed by the gods --because it is an unfair burden to him to have so much unearned adoration and attention. 

Because I was considered to be the ugliest girl in high school--every girl tried to take him from me because they didn't believe that I deserved him. So, they gave him their virginity and their money.  And I helped him with his homework and taught him how to read. I did his homework for him all throughout high school. I never slept with him until our wedding night.

The night before my wedding, I asked my mother why she only loved my father and never loved my sisters and me. My mother told me that love is an action word not an emotion. She said that her love was in every meal she ever cooked, every load of clothes she ever washed, and every room she ever cleaned.  She said, “My mother told us that she loved us every day.. My brother and I but we went to school dirty and hungry before she left my father for another man.”

My husband had three children outside of our marriage. One was with my ex- best friend…my only friend;  one was with our neighbor across the street, and the third child was with my younger sister. The babies were all born within three months of each other. Everyone expected me to leave my husband. Of course, he begged for my forgiveness, but he didn’t have to. I had forgiven him before he even asked. 

I was never as angry with him in the first place-more like disappointed with his choice of women. I was angry  with all the women closest to me who betrayed me.  Even with their good looks, their perfect bodies, and their feminine charms… they still couldn’t take him away from me—just like my father-- every Friday he signed over his entire paycheck to me, every night he rubbed my feet and snuggled his beard in the crook of my neck, and every morning we were intimate is some manner before we both left for work.

My husband is incapable of cheating on me, because I know who he is, inside out… all of his flaws.. . I chose to love him unequivocally and unconditionally—for who he is and not some idealistic fantasy of  perfection based on who I want him to be. I know who I married and why I married him…

Women deceive  other women into believing that men oppress women… that men are the enemy to be feared ; Nevertheless,  I have never found a human being to be more treacherous, devious, and conniving than a woman who is envious  of you and believes that she deserves what you have simply  because of her beauty.

 

One-day men are going to wake up and see that they are not the hunters but the hunted; they are not the predator but the prey. Women run this world by pretending to be helpless and innocent especially when she wants to usurp a man’s wealth, power, and prestige. 

Men built this world with his hands, but only because he was commanded to do so for and by women.  Women build men up and they tear men down at their own discretion—especially when she is  annoyed, ignored, or when she wants to purr and let the world know who is really in charge. Men are useless without women; they are collateral damage of a woman’s wrath.

Women come on to my husband without so much as a single thought of how they are hurting me. I find women in general to be cruel and callous beings who take no accountability for their power…always pretending to be victims of circumstance.

  

Josephine with sock doll Mermaid Geraldine--her only Loyal Friend

As I got older, I understood why my father always wanted a son…

Fashion Handmade Black Sock Doll Craft Pattern DIY - Josephine - Part 3 and 4

Greetings Dollings, in part 3 on How to make the Josephine Sock Doll Pattern DIY, I will show you how to attach her arms to her body. Additionally, for those of you who are interested, I will show you how to make your Josephine Sock Doll anatomically correct. I give a warning in the YouTube video for those who are not interested to stop watching, as it is my sincere desire not to defend anyone.

In part 4, I show you how I needle sculpt Josephine’s doll face to create her nose, mouth, and inset eyes.  For this project, you will need a flesh colored pair of socks, Morning Glory or Mountain Mist Fiberfill, doll needles, and upholstery thread.

I am going to share a little bit of Josephine’s story. She is a very talkative and reflective fabric doll. I will share her entire story and interview at the end of the Josephine Sock Doll Tutorial.

“I was named after my daddy. His name was Joseph. He wanted a boy so that he could name his son after himself. My father wanted a boy so bad that he bought baby and toddler t-shirts, baseball caps, pants, blankets, shirts, toys… all kind of stuff with the name Joseph written on it. My father read a Law of Attraction book that instructed him to create a material physical environment to reflect his deepest wishes and that his desires would be manifested into reality.

My daddy always told me that he was cursed –when it came to having kids because after I was born he had 5 more girls.

When I was born, I was told that my father threw up from disappointment—not only because he wanted a boy—but because he said that I was the ugliest baby that he had ever seen.

I  don’t know if my parents couldn’t afford to buy new baby clothes and toys or  they didn’t care enough—but all of my belongings until the age of 5 have the name Joseph embroidered, typed, or stamped on them—but the letters, I, N, and E are written on the end, barely legible with a black Sharpie marker.

To be continued…

"I know there is a doll inside of you who is dying to come to life...But only you can breathe life into her. Bring a handmade doll to life."

 

Cassandra George Sturges

Josephine Sock Doll Pattern DIY wearing a green bra.

Josephine Sock Doll wearing a robe preparing to take a bath.

Josephine Sock Doll sitting on her bath tub filled with bubbles.

Josephine sock doll sitting in her bath tub filled with bubbles reflecting about her day.

Josephine Sock doll wearing magenta,lipstick, smiling at the camera.

How to make a Sock Doll DIY - Josephine Sock Doll Tutorial

I hope you enjoy making this  Josephine Sock Doll DIY Tutorial. I had so much fun creating this sock doll pattern  because she pushed me outside of my comfort zone of primarily using a 2 way stretchy fabric and having unlimited space to create my cloth dolls. I  made  her 4 times before I was able to fit all of her body parts onto a single pair of socks-- Stretchy, soft, socks--that nearly drove me insane.... Okay... more insane.

Josephine Sock Doll DIY Pattern Page 1 0f 2

Josephine Sock Doll DIY Pattern Page 2 of 2

Josephine had so much to say while I was creating her. I will share a little bit of her story here:

"I did his homework for him all throughout high school. Every girl in school had a crush on him. They batted their eyes and switched their hips in hopes that he would glance at them--even if he didn't bother to speak back. He has always been good-looking and he knew it. I mean... he isn't some average good-looking guy. No. No. No My husband has supernatural good looks. God's Masterpiece for masculinity. He is so good-looking-- that he is cursed by the gods --because it is an unfair burden to him to have so much unearned adoration and attention. I was always considered to be the ugliest girl in high school--every girl tried to take him from me because they didn't believe that I deserved him...We will talk more about this later."

This is a snippet of  Josephine the Sock Doll Story. I will share more later as I finish making her. For now, let's have fun and make her. The pictures should print out on letter size paper in the correct size of the sock doll pattern. Stay tuned for the completion of Josephine.