Ecdysis
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
As we venture into Autumn, I’ve got many ideas for a series I’m calling “Why Fall is more renewing than Spring”. There are lots of reasons why Fall is, indeed, the most renewing of the seasons. And as such, I think it’s worth discussing. We all need a little renewing.
This is the first piece in the series.
Ecdysis
"Ecdysis" by by Aijung Kim
In my office, I have a beautiful block print by Aijung Kim of a snake shedding its skin. It’s called “Ecdysis” which is the scientific word for the process of molting. I’ve always been fascinated by ecdysis. We humans shed individual skin cells all the time, so much that we (hopefully?) don’t ever notice the change. But snakes do it more dramatically, shedding the whole thing in one go, about 4 to 12 times a year. Lots of arthropods and reptiles go through ecdysis as well. At key points in their growth cycle, they have to shed their skins or exoskeletons to take on a new form in a new stage of life. They have to do this to grow and survive.
With Autumn around the corner, leaves will soon turn colors and fall. And I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to shed things.
I can’t imagine what it would be like to step out of an exoskeleton, and yet, so many creatures go through this process. It’s probably quite scary - what if you get stuck? You can’t live long trapped halfway like that. I would guess there’s also a certain amount of rush relief, like the feeling of inhaling fresh air after a long car ride, having dirty glasses cleaned, or taking off dress shoes at the end of a long day on your feet. Once you’re free, how exciting and terrifying it must be to look back at the literal shell of your former self. There lies the form that has been so familiar and protective, and now you have no other choice but to venture out in as a totally new version of you, a new self. It would take a lot of courage to go through ecdysis, I think.
I would be willing to guess that insects don’t get this emotional or intellectual over ecdysis. And don’t get me wrong, I don’t want an exoskeleton. But I can’t help thinking how amazing it would be to have such a physical, whole-body transformation to mark a major stage of life growth like this.
Shrimp go through ecdysis too. Photo by note thanun on Unsplash
Imagine if you quit (or got fired!) from a job that was really holding you back, and keeping you small, and then you got to physically wrestle yourself out of a dry, constricting husk, suddenly able to stretch and expand, admiring your stronger new self and all its newfound capabilities (I have wings now?? Whaaaaaatt???)
Better yet, imagine going through a breakup or divorce and coming out of it markedly new looking, stronger and refreshed? Or going into a new relationship having shed whatever shame and baggage might have formed a wall around you in the past, masking the real you? Or setting a new goal in your career or business, and suddenly unleashing all kinds of new mental and physical capacity to take it on?
Unfortunately though, we don’t get that transformative, ultimate refresh moment like snakes do. When we grow into a new life stage, change is usually more subtle, and it can be hard to realize how we’ve grown (and what we can leave behind). We may just feel like our old self doing a new thing.
But what if you could take some inspiration from these creatures and have your own transformative ecdysis? So you don’t get stuck in your old shell, unable to grow, take some time to think about what you’ve grown out of, and want to leave behind, such as:
Restrictive and outdated “shoulds” and “have tos” that really aren’t serving you or anybody
Limitations others may have put on you - or that you’ve put on yourself - in order to fit into the smaller shell you’re emerging from
Beliefs and related practices you picked up from an old work culture that didn’t reflect your values - and from people that weren’t really invested in seeing you grow.
Bees go through ecdysis too. Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
We can also think about our new form, and what growth is there now to admire:
How much you’ve learned and accomplished going through that last stage
New habits, ideas and mindsets that helped get you to where you are now
All the people you’ve met, who have supported you and are cheering you on
So entering into this new season, where the leaves are falling and local snakes and arthropods are molting, it’s a good time to think about what we take with us and what we leave behind. What do you want to emerge from - and what do you want to grow into?
If you’re looking to grow into a new stage of life, and want some support developing your strengths, trying new strategies, and letting go of what’s no longer working for you, I’m here to help! Schedule a time to meet with me here - I’d love to hear about your goals!
