A perfect gift to anyone, any age, any religion or none at all.
Hope's theme of life, moving through seeming death to a new and more beautiful life, has touched the hearts of millions of people. Hope for the Flowers is for young and old, lovers, husbands and wives. It's a book to learn to read with, or to comfort those who are dying or grieving. In the tale, the caterpillar heroes, Stripe and Yellow, want something more from life than eating and growing bigger. They get caught up in a "caterpillar pillar," a squirming mass of bodies, each determined to reach a top so far away it can't be seen. Finally disillusioned, they discover that the way for the caterpillars to find their particular "more," who they really are, is to enter the cocoon and "...risk for the butterfly." Hope for the Flowers has helped people gain the courage to leave jobs, change their lives and explore their love for another human being. Three million copies in print.
“I read it with deep appreciation for its message.”
-- Coretta Scott King
"Oh, I cannot explain the beauty I felt when I get all this,
to make the most complex become the simplest –
this is the summit of our ancient Oriental wisdom."
-- Ear Lu, Chinese translator, Hope for the Flowers
“In Trina Paulus' book, Hope for the Flowers, two caterpillars get caught up in the fallacy of competition and struggle to reach the top of a caterpillars pile. By journey’s end, however, they learn that their true nature, and that of every other caterpillar is not one of winning and being at the top, but of going within and emerging as beautiful butterflies who were born to soar. Like the caterpillars in that tale, very early on in our lives, we may have received messages that we must compete in order to succeed. Whether we engage in sports, take tests in school, seek a partner, look for a job, or campaign for public office, there seemingly must always emerge winners and losers. Those who stand out above the rest and those who are left behind. Each of these scenarios gives us a sense that there is deep lack in the world with only so much glory, love, money and other resources to go around. This perspective then creates such an urgency to be seen to be the best and to finish first, that we may adopt a willingness to do whatever it takes to win or be right, even if it’s out of alignment with our values and our heart’s truth. We may begin to see the success of others as a threat as if there is just not enough room for everyone to win. This response creates separation which pulls us away from the natural flow of the universe.
The truth is that abundance exists all around us, in nature, in our local grocery stores, in the deep love of our friends and family – everywhere in the universe. In going within and connecting with the true self, we find it easier to understand this and appreciate what we already have. As we pay attention to what is, we begin to align with the true abundance that is always present within our lives. From this place of gratitude, we invite our egos to step aside and we feel a greater kinship with everyone and everything around us. Releasing the limiting thoughts and beliefs of scarcity and lack, we no longer exist in competition with our fellow human beings. We experience a new way of being, choosing to see the world as an abundant place with room enough for all to express their unique talents and succeed. Here, we step into, and embrace unity, peace and infinite abundance. May the universe provide you with many beautiful moments that reflect the true abundance in your life. Namasté.”
-- Deepak Chopra
