Lobsters have discovered the secret to life.
Stay with me here.
Lobsters are a soft, mushy animal that live inside a rigid shell. As the lobster grows, the shell doesn’t expand. It becomes so cramped and uncomfortable that the lobster crawls under the rocks, away from predators. There, it casts off its old shell and grows into a larger one.
Over the course of its life, lobsters repeat this maneuver many times. Feeling discomfort is what drives lobsters to grow and expand. Whenever it’s too confined, the lobster sheds the pain of its previous life and searches for a better fit.
It’s the same for us.
Except when we feel pressured, doctors prescribe Valium. The more evolved lobster uses their pain as motivation to grow. If it never felt cramped, it would stay in its shell, its comfort zone.
Growth is never a smooth, upward glide. It comes in fits and starts. But if you’re willing to embrace change, those times of adversity can trigger tremendous growth.
Here’s my take. How is this different from your job, or relationship?
When you feel confined, it grinds you down. You feel squeezed. So, when is the right time to press the reset button and search for a larger shell?
It depends on how tight your shell feels – and your guts to shed it. It takes courage to stand on a cliff, knowing you must take a chance on the unknown. But that’s what defines your character, and keeps life exciting.
The lobster tale reminded me of author Ray Bradbury’s sage advice about deciding when to make that leap of faith. “Sometimes you just have to jump and grow wings on the way down.”
Love this!
You might want to use the analogy of the Hermit crab instead of the Lobster or think about changing the image at least.
Another person write The Sequoi Seed which uses this analogy also.
It’s a great analogy. If only I could’ve found a lobster changing shells
Hmm it appears like your blog ate my first comment
(it was super long) so I guess I’ll just sum it up what I submitted and say, I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog.
I too am an aspiring blog blogger but I’m still new to the
whole thing. Do you have any recommendations for inexperienced blog writers?
I’d genuinely appreciate it.
Thanks. Just keep at it until you find your voice – and a following.
Good luck!