With the approach of spring, I’ve noticed how a seed is a lovely metaphor for human potential. Just as a seed contains everything it needs to become a plant, each person contains everything necessary to grow into an easeful life. If a seed is tended in the optimal way, nothing will stop its progress. We all have the same potential to become our best selves.

Unlike a seed, which will push through its outer layer no matter how hard it has to struggle, humans create stories to keep ourselves contained. These stories tell us we’re safer where we are and that breaking out isn’t worth the risk. We pull that outer layer close, keeping our possibilities hidden and restricting our movement. Imagine if a seed “thought” the same thing. It would rot wherever it fell, never growing into what it was meant to be.

Consider a few of the sayings that reinforce our outer layers: “Failure is not an option,” “Curiosity killed the cat,” and “Children should be seen and not heard.” When you read those words, do they strike you as untrue? Or have you integrated them into your life unintentionally? Unless we are mindful, we repeat phrases to ourselves and disburse them into our community without questioning whether they are true.

One of the stories I learned as a child was “dumb should hurt.” The implication behind it was that if you do something stupid, there are painful consequences. Through my somatic therapy, I discovered that particular phrase had taken up residence in my sacroiliac joint (where the hip bones meet the spine). It created an inflexibility and discomfort that no amount of massage therapy, chiropractic work, or acupuncture could budge more than briefly. 

Without realizing it consciously, I had equated not knowing things with being “dumb,” which also meant the possibility of experiencing pain. Ironically, the belief itself was actually holding me back. With support, I also uncovered an ability to be kind with myself when I’m learning new things. I don’t need to be perfect (or “smart”) all the time. Once I reframed that old belief, my flexibility returned and the discomfort disappeared. Along with the increased flexibility in my body, I found myself more willing to try new things. I discovered how to be gracious with myself when I stumble.

Even when a seed lands in a place that is less than ideal, nature will carry the seed to where it can grow and bloom. We are capable of seeking out that type of assistance or carrying ourselves to where we will best flourish. We are able to stay curious about the stories we tell and explore the ways in which those stories could be holding us back. 

Our bodies can show us how we talk to ourselves and reveal our inner strength. With patience and persistence, we can find our seed of potential, rewrite the stories that contain it, and give our best life the space to grow.