The butterfly metaphor is often associated with complete and dramatic transformation, and "Allura" visited me right in the midst of one of the biggest changes in my life. She came to remind me of the profound importance of leaning into—and allowing—the discomfort that comes with emotional growth. She showed me that there is beauty even in letting go of the old, in accepting the unknown, and in embracing the new stages of metamorphosis. Allura is the embodiment of all we must move through to reach our next evolution—no matter how scary that may be. And to truly evolve, we must drop our masks and look deeply within. We must meet the parts of ourselves that hurt, that we find inadequate, and that are yearning to heal and transform.
