Chances are that every lovely tree, fragrant herb or delicious fruit, at some point came from a seed. Although nature packages them in different shapes and sizes, one feature is common to all seeds: in order for them to sprout and reach their potential, the shell must be breached and broken. We, human beings, also come from different backgrounds, belong to different races, hold different beliefs and cherish personal aspirations. Yet, everyone’s Self, the essence of their being, has one thing in common: it too must break the shell of identity to unleash the genius within.

Most of us love avocadoes. We enjoy the fruit and discard the seed. However, the mother tree did not intend the seed for a dead-end. It gave the embryo a hard casement to protect it until it could reach a fruitful soil and germinate. Good parents provide the same strong protection to their children, so that they grow up within a safe and nurturing shell of loving guidance. They do not expect the child to remain shelled for the rest of its life, to stifle its creativity and cut short its talent. Yet, growing up, we tend to become prisoners of identity—the imprint of education and information—instead of becoming its master.

We dress in an infinite variety to accomplish a diversity of purpose. For instance, there is a professional dress to make a good business impression, casuals for comfort, smart apparels to cut a fine figure at social events and athletic gear to achieve in sports. But what if you simply put on a plastic bag? It would not only be unimpressive, but may suffocate you. Similarly, your upbringing and religious tradition, peer culture and political information are valuable allies to reach your goals. Have you turned them into a constriction—the shell which defines your world?

In the story of The Ugly Duckling, the un-hatched chicks thought that the egg was the entire world. Once hatched, they thought that the nest was the world. But the mother duck was smart. She knew that the world was much larger; it extended as far as the garden. So it is with us. Teenagers feel liberated when all they have done is broken the parental shell and become re-shelled in peer pressure. Grownups feel ahead when they replace yesterday’s ideas with today’s information. Yet, in reality, we often simply exchange one shell for another. The invisible wall which divides parents from teenagers, separates loved ones, prevents  reasonable agreements, isn’t a mystery; it is simply minds hiding behind shells hardier than any found in the plant kingdom.

Alfred Nobel, of Nobel Prize fame, discovered dynamite which can blast through mountain rocks. But even the most violent explosive will not help you blast through the human shell. In fact, like the avocado’s seed, blasting from the outside will damage rather than liberate the genius within. No, there is a better way, the natural way. Just as the avocado sprouts when it participates in the wind and water around itself, the Self also reveals its talent through participating in the ever-changing world around itself.

The naturalist John Muir was moved by the constant changing beauty of American landscape to seek its conservation. How can we make our mind also participate in the eternal change around us? Here is a simple exercise for today. When you walk down the main street of your favorite town, observe the cars on the street, the pedestrians on the side-walks, the trees swaying or standing still, the shopping stores and restaurants. I am sure that it is the same main street you saw yesterday. But this time pay a closer attention. You will find that the cars are not the same as yesterday, the people are different. The trees have changed a little; even the brick and mortar structures have aged a day. Just by paying attention to these small details, loved ones, friends and coworkers will inspire interest instead of monotony; you will even enjoy the unstoppable change within yourself. Acknowledge the difference, participate in it and the shell begins to crack.

Like all fruits, the avocado neither builds an unbreakable shell nor refuses to sprout its genius. We should do no less. It is time for your Self to use the inside world—its talent, knowledge and experience—to make the outside world a better place for everyone.