NOTE: I used Grammarly to grammar check this post, because I have ADD, dyslexia and am a little tired today. Besides, I wanted to check out this cool software and see if it would be useful to me. I’m glad I did … it caught a few things that I never would have!

Yesterday I witnessed a mini miracle and that was my main celebration for the day.

I was walking down the alley behind my apartment, on the way to the grocery store for the week’s grocery shopping. The road is in dire need of resurfacing, with pot-holes and mis-matched cement and asphalt lining the way. The smell of trash floats about in the breeze and flies buzz around.

Suddenly, I saw (and felt) movement by my left shoulder. I turned to look and found a black and yellow butterfly flitting by. I believe it was some kind of swallowtail, as pictured above. It looked as if it was course-correcting, making an effort not to fly directly into me. It flew up and away and I had but a moment to appreciate its delicate beauty.

Kristen D’Angelo, a freelance writer and photographer, once said, “Butterflies are a breath of beauty fluttering by, they are mystery chronicled upon wing, they bring forth the grace and wonder of this world to our eyes every day.”

That’s how I felt in that one, brief and brilliant moment. Even in the dingy alley (aren’t all alleys pretty darn yucky to look at?), I was able to find beauty.

In many traditions, the butterfly represents the soul. As a totem spirit, it represents transformation. I believe this is apropos, which is why I chose the quote used in the picture above. By going through this 31 Days of Celebration, I am inviting a personal transformation, a shift in my life toward the better.

Each time I, or a client, takes on this celebration challenge, the shift is different. It may be a shift in finances, in relationships, in self-confidence, or something else altogether. Regardless, a shift happens and it is always one that is needed.

And, strangely enough, once the shift happens it is often easy to forget that you weren’t always seeing life from this new perspective. This is why journaling and occasionally going back and reading old entries is important. This activity helps you recognize, appreciate and honor the shifts you’ve made, spurring you on to further shifts.

Butterflies are also about finding joy in life, and that’s what this month-long exercise is about, as well. Find the joys in your life every day … they are there. Sometimes they are small. Sometimes they are large. But they are always there, waiting for you to notice and appreciate them.

How did you celebrate you yesterday? Did you notice a brief moment of beauty? Maybe it was a flower blooming on the path to your car. Maybe it was the way your dog wagged its tail to greet you or the way your cat purred when you stroked its back. Maybe it was the laugh of your child, best friend or lover. I promise you, beauty was there for you to notice. Did you take note of it?

Please share your celebrations, insights, comments and/or observations in a comment below.