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By Suzanne E. Harrill
“The shell must be cracked apart if what is in it is to come out, for if you want the kernel you must break the shell.” ~ Meister Eckhart
There was a time when I handed out real acorns to participants in my lectures and workshops. Most people chose an acorn that was solid and whole and looked good. One time a woman chose a cracked acorn and explained, “This one symbolizes that I have cracked the outer shell of my defenses and am ready for the seed to come out and grow.” Well stated.
When I ran across the above quote I understood at a deeper level the significance of the acorn being my personal symbol. My business logo, has a sprouted acorn with three leaves growing out of the seed. I will share with you the theme of my teachings, The Harrill Acorn Analogy, which I wrote 30 years ago, and how it became a symbol for my awakening. May it serve you as well.
Theme: Deep Inside
Deep inside of you is the seed of your true Self. This seed holds the blueprint for who you are - a loving, joy-filled, creative human being, experiencing rich, meaningful relationships and living with deep purpose. The true Self is hidden by the ego or personality of the conditioned self, which is influenced by the beliefs and behaviors of your parents, extended family, and the community in which you grew up. Learning these patterns during your early years was necessary to live successfully at the time; however, some of your thinking and behavioral patterns may be negatively influencing you today. Many unaware parents pass on low self-esteem, which affects a child’s emotional development. It hinders their ability to access their innate goodness, truth, and beauty.
Loving yourself is the foundation of your life and influences everything you think, say, and do. Building Self-esteem will lead you back to who you already are: a beautiful divine being of pure consciousness, who is innately good, loving, and creative. The following acorn analogy summarizes your journey.
The Harrill Acorn Analogy
Deep inside you know how to be you, just as an acorn knows how to be a mighty oak.
The acorn does the best it can do at each stage of growth along its life-path.
Even if the early start was less than perfect the eager oak accelerates its desire to grow
every time that it has nurturing from nature: sunlight, rainwater, and soil nutrients.
YOU are like the acorn, doing your best under the conditions in which you are growing.
Nurture yourself with awareness, acceptance, love, and self-respect,
then watch you grow into your true Self!
How I Wrote The Acorn Analogy
It is an interesting story how The Acorn Analogy appeared in my life. Many years ago, when my youngest daughter was four years old, I would meditate for a few minutes before picking her up from preschool. I was asked to present two teacher in-service trainings that year.
During one of my meditations I had a significant vision where I saw myself handing out real acorns to the teachers and explaining the ideas summarized in the analogy. I viewed myself saying, “We each are like acorns with the seed of potential of our individual Self inside. We are doing our best at each stage of growth along our life path with the conditions in which we were born. If the early start was less than perfect, it does not stop the acorn from growing into its full stature. It is never too late for us to grow and become who we were created to be. As we learn to nurture ourselves and discover our true nature, we grow into the best we are capable of becoming.”
I went to the first training with my acorns, which my daughter enthusiastically helped me find, but did not hand them out. Why? Because I listened to my negative self-talk which stopped me.
My higher Self did not give up though. Guess what happened next? Right before the second presentation, I had the same exact vision of giving out the acorns. I looked up and said, “I get it. I’ll hand them out.” That’s when I wrote down the analogy. Eventually I realized the Acorn Analogy is the theme of my teachings and my personal symbol. Acorns are a great symbol, reminding us that within each of us is our full potential, true Self, waiting for self-nurturing to grow and actualize.
The next time you are out walking in an area with oak trees, pick up an acorn and place it in your kitchen window or on your dresser. Put it in your pocket when you need a boost of support. The acorn will remind you of the beauty and perfection of your true being deep inside.
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