In this adventure, we shrink down to explore the secret superpowers of some of the smallest but mightiest creatures on Earth. From ants carrying loads many times their size to caterpillars transforming into butterflies, dung beetles rolling their strange treasures, and ladybugs protecting gardens, we discover that strength comes in all sorts of surprising forms.

Insect Super Powers 

strength in all sorts of places 

Well Hello and welcome to mello! Today we are going to explore the incredible world of the small but might. Tiny creatures that show us stretch in unexpected ways! Insects! 

Thank you XXX for this amazing question that sparked today's episode. 

XXX:  “Can you tell me weird things bugs do?”

Let’s start by getting our wiggles out. Go ahead and wiggle. 

That’s right–your toes and arms, your fingers and legs. Wiggle them up and down and all around. Now settle those wiggles into a comfortable spot. Take a deep breath in, feeling your body fill with calm.… breathe out, as you exhale whisper to yourself, ‘I am safe.’ Inhale again… and feel love fill your body. Whisper, ‘I am loved.’

With one more deep breath, your imagination is ready. So let’s begin our adventure…

You have shrunk down…WAY down, to less than an inch, smaller than a raindrop. The grass around you is taller than trees, and the once tiny breeze feels like a mighty wind. Down here, the little things don’t look so little anymore. 

Ahead of you, an ant is marching by. It might be small, less than an inch, but look at that! It’s carrying something HUGE, way bigger than itself. 

My goodness, it is carrying something that must be ten, twenty, maybe even fifty times its own weight! Ants are incredibly strong–their exoskeleton and internal tendons allow them to pack a ton of muscle into a tiny space. 

As we sit with this lovely ant, let’s take three deep breaths…

In…and out…in…and out…in…and out.

Just beyond the ant, you see a creature crawling slowly across a leaf. It's a plump little caterpillar with black, white, and yellow stripes.

It munches quietly, unaware that something big is coming.  Not danger…but change. 

(Sounds of munching)

When the time is right, it wraps itself up in a little chrysalis… and completely transforms. Special cells, called imaginal cells, take over, turning it from crawling caterpillar into flying butterfly. 

(Wing sounds)

It’s one of nature’s most powerful transformations. When it breaks out of the chryalis… it’s a butterfly. With wings like stained glass, fluttering with freedom.

Imagine that. Letting go of everything you were… to become everything you can be. That kind of change can feel scary. But inside you, just like that caterpillar, is the power to change.

As we think about this change, take three more breaths.

In…and out…in…and out…in…and out.

Now look! 

Rolling slowly up a hill… is a dung beetle! Yep, that’s poop it’s pushing. But before you giggle too much watch this determined little beetle!

It’s strong. So strong, in fact, that it can roll balls many times its weight. Even uphill. It’s not glamorous work. It’s not easy work. But inch by inch, it moves. And inch by inch… it builds a life.

Sometimes, your journey might not look like everyone else’s. It might feel weird or messy. That doesn’t mean it isn’t meaningful.

Let’s pause here. Take a breath in. starting at the top of your head, feel every part of your body with each in inhale…and exhale. 

Now breathe In…and out…in…and out…in…and out.

As you sit still, something red lands softly beside you.
A ladybug. Tiny, with a bright shell and black dots. It looks delicate, but did you know it’s a fierce hunter? Ladybugs gobble up garden pests. They keep plants safe.

Remember this, just because something looks soft… doesn’t mean it isn’t strong. You can be both.

So…what can we learn from these tiny critters? 

The ant, the caterpillar, the beetle, the ladybug…

They’re so small.
So powerful. All in different ways.

You may not always feel big.
But you are mighty.

You can carry things that are heavy.
You can grow into someone new, if you set your mind to it.
You can build, stretch, and protect.
YOU matter.
Just as you are.

Now take one last breath with me…
In…
And out…

And carry that quiet strength with you for the rest of your day.