The Chrysalis Within Us
Caterpillars, collective evolution, and stepping into the version of you the world needs right now
For the last month, my front yard has been taken over by caterpillars.
I’m not talking about a handful—there are literally hundreds of soon-to-be butterflies that have gone from teeny-tiny eggs, to itty-bitty crawlers, to big fatties preparing themselves for transformation.
They initially took up residence in the willow tree in front of our house, which we only discovered after noticing a ridiculous amount of what we eventually realized was caterpillar poop on the ground below. Imagine our surprise when we looked up to find clumps of black, spiky caterpillars crawling all over each other, treating the leaves like an all-you-can-eat buffet.
It’s become part of our daily routine to check on “our” caterpillars as we leave for school in the morning and return home in the afternoon. My kids love trying to spot them in the tree, and now that most have entered their final phase before becoming butterflies, they love hunting for cocoons tucked into the ivy near our front door.
Caterpillar poop aside, it has been a delight having a front-row seat to nature’s most beautiful case study in transformation and trust.
I can’t imagine these tiny creatures have any clue about the metamorphosis they’ll undergo before it happens. They simply emerge from their egg, start eating their way through the tree they happen to be on, and then, when they feel called, find a cozy, safe spot to hang upside down and shed their skin to form a chrysalis.
Relying entirely on instinct, caterpillars trust the process without second-guessing whether it makes any sense to leave the safety of the tree where they were born and embrace the change they feel coming. They likely have no idea that the only life they’ve known will look vastly different once they emerge from the cocoon as entirely new creatures.
I wonder if they feel scared or hesitant about answering that inner call. Or if some initially refuse it, as so many do in transformative adventures, according to Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey framework.
As long as they trust their intuition and have faith in the process, they’ll soon be able to fly.
We humans (especially those of us living in the United States) are experiencing our own version of transformation, change, and metamorphosis. We’ve been fairly comfortable in our leafy habitats for quite a long time, but the branches have been stripped bare, and many of us are feeling the deep inner urge to evolve.
Some have answered the call enthusiastically, ready to leap into the unknown and discover who they’ll become on the other side. These brave souls feel like they were born ready to join the revolution and transform alongside the next iteration of our society—they’re absolutely up for the challenge.
Others have outright ignored the call, unwilling to admit that we’re entering a new era where the old ways no longer work. They cling to the bare branches and mock those who are willing to embrace the evolutionary process calling out to them.
Then there’s the group of us who are aware of this energetic shift and, while we might not be thrilled about it, we’re open to answering the call—even if it feels scary and unfamiliar. We can feel in our gut that we’re meant to play a part in this next phase of human evolution, even if the what, how, and when haven’t yet been revealed.
This is where trust comes in.
A caterpillar doesn’t know that it carries within its DNA the ability to transform into a butterfly; it just knows it needs to eat, grow, and eventually form a chrysalis. We have no idea what versions of ourselves lie dormant in our genes either, but we’ll never discover them if we don’t take the first step—and then the next, and the next.
If you’re waiting to be 100% certain of your role in the next phase of your life—as well as every step you need to take to get there—you’ll never reveal your true potential. You’ll remain a caterpillar, inching along the ground as you watch your former caterpillar pals soar into the sky as beautiful butterflies.
The U.S. is undergoing a massive societal transformation. Unless we answer the call and engage, morally corrupt billionaires and power-hungry politicians will turn this place into an uninhabitable hellscape where thriving is impossible and nobody feels safe.
You and your unique gifts are needed in this pivotal moment in history, even if you don’t fully know what role you’re meant to play yet. But the fastest way to figure out your purpose in this battle for our collective future is to follow your natural instincts.
Do you feel pulled to raise money, generate awareness, make calls, show up at protests, volunteer, run for office, or contribute your talents in some other way? Follow that nudge and take the first step—then the next, and the next.
I’m certain that my soul’s calling is to guide people back to each other, and to show that the only sustainable way forward is together.
We aren’t meant to do any of this alone. We need one another to survive, to grow, and to become who we’re truly meant to be. Yet so many of us have forgotten how to live in community, how to ask for help without guilt, and how to receive support without shrinking. My work is about helping us remember and rebuild the collective strength that makes a meaningful life possible.
Our country has prioritized and glorified independence and freedom since its inception nearly 250 years ago—but at the cost of our interconnectedness and our natural desire for community.
So many of us hustle and grind in silos, feeling deeply disconnected and unsupported—but it doesn’t have to be that way.
Collaboration and connection aren’t just skills — they’re lifelines we can all remember, nurture, and strengthen. It’s the honor of my life to guide those ready to stop over-functioning in isolation and start creating support systems that feel safe, reciprocal, and deeply nourishing. (If this feels like you, let’s connect.)
Much like the caterpillars, we all have built-in callings and potential transformations encoded within us. Whether we choose to listen to that quiet yet persistent voice urging us to unlock who we’re meant to be—or stay small and earthbound like the caterpillars who never make it to chrysalis—is up to us. I hope you’ll choose the path of bravery, faith, and adventure, because I bet you’d make one hell of a butterfly.
Before I go, I wanted to share a piece I wrote back in July 2018 in response to the prompt “Now I become the one who…” during my first of many Blue Sky Black Sheep writing groups. We were given 17 minutes to write, and what follows flew out of me fully formed and ready to go to battle. It was a magical moment of channeling a message that came through me but wasn’t of me, and it still gives me goosebumps every time I read it.
Thoughts become words. Words become actions. Actions become movements. Movements become evolution.
Together is where we drive expansion and understanding—not apart. My gifts, your strengths, our magic combine to move humanity to the next level.
It’s my duty and honor to step forward from the pack and volunteer to make a move. With innate bravery and privilege comes responsibility to engage and gather.
To remain small and quiet is to deny the call that’s grown from a whisper to a roar. We can’t pretend not to hear it or use the excuse of lack of clarity to shirk our responsibilities any longer. We know what needs to be done, whether we feel ready or qualified or emboldened enough to follow through.
We are here, now, together—not because of some omniscient randomness. We all opted in and raised our hands long ago. Our numbers have been called, and it’s time to step forward from the crowd, raise our hands, and say: “Now I become the one who answers the call.”
We march at dawn.
I’d love to hear how you would respond to the prompt, “Now I become the one who…” You might be surprised at what emerges.
If it stirs something within you, consider this your invitation to begin your own inner journey of transformation. I hope you’ll answer the call.
Until next time, have a wonderful weekend, and happy connecting!
Baily Hancock is a Connection Strategist, speaker, and writer who helps high-achieving humans and heart-led organizations build careers, communities, and cultures rooted in connection. As the Founder of OverlapCollective and Host of the “Seeking the Overlap” Podcast, Baily’s body of work centers around the radical idea that we aren’t meant to do any of this alone, and that our greatest potential is unlocked in community.
Brilliantly and beautifully said, my friend. <3