And in the spring, I shed my skin And it floats away on the changing winds Florence + The Machine
The song Rabbit Heart has always been one of my favorite Florence tracks thanks to its powerful choruses and multi-meaning lyrics, but most especially because of this lyric tucked into the light, slow motion bridge of the song. I remember driving along Atlanta streets under blooming dogwood trees with the windows down in the middle of summer, relishing in my independence and believing that this song had meaning. It marked a sort of transformation for me then, and has served as a reminder of that time and again. While speaking with a client today, I told her what I felt I was witnessing: it feels like you’re shedding dead skin, like all the costumes you’ve worn are falling away to reveal your true self underneath all those layers.
That’s what coming into your own looks like. That’s what transformation feels like. For some, it’s a swift declaration, for others, its the slow process of metamorphosis. What would it be like for you to walk through the world lighter, freer, and not weighed down by the overly large shoes of a parent, the hand-me-downs of a sibling, the corset of beauty standards, the weight of expectations from media, the fear of failure from your bosses, the smell of Axe Body Spray, or the rags of regret?
What if you could step out into the light, just as you are? What would that give you?