The Lobster’s Shell

I heard a parable about a lobster- the way it grows. The lobster becomes uncomfortable as it begins to outgrow its shell. It might start with a little tightness here or an annoyance there, but soon the lobster is made so uncomfortable it has no choice but to shed its shell and grow a new one. When the lobster sheds, it loses its protective hard layer, leaving it vulnerable until it can rebuild a new one that fits it better. The moral of the story was actually about retreating during a time of vulnerability, and that taking care of yourself is important during a time of growth. But the larger take away for me was that maybe we need to pay more attention to the times we become uncomfortable. Maybe we need to start noticing those pinches, and annoyances and stop brushing them away and pretending like we fit inside the shell we created. Even if it does mean becoming vulnerable for a moment. If our protective layer is hurting us, then maybe we should create a new one that fits us better.

But creating a shell is some serious work! Our shell is everything we’ve spent our life doing. It’s what defines us, and it usually includes a whole lot of things that we really, REALLY love- our career, home, relationships, our protective layer that we’ve built to ensure our safety. Obviously, I’m not suggesting we walk in and quit our jobs, sell the house and move across the country without a game plan just because we’re momentarily uncomfortable. That’s different. What I’m talking about is a deeper need to change our environment to give us the opportunity to grow into what we desire to become. So here we go! My family is shedding its shell and we’d love for you to join us on this journey of creating a new one.