The Breaking Open of the Pod

 

The word “Pod” spontaneously came to me, and danced in my mind-space with a flair, and so I followed it along into the rooms of imagination and connections.

I’m sure the word “pod” brings quite a few associations to mind such as IPod, Podcast, etc. I discovered that a search query turned up about 600 companies that use the word “Pod” in their name. In fact, Apple has been fighting many of these companies over the trademark of the same word. One example was a case Apple filed against a company called Podium, which markets an iPhone stand.

This blog is not about gadgets, but the real Pods, the real ones that grow and produce peas.

A Pod is defined as: An elongated seed vessel of a leguminous plant such as the pea, splitting open on both sides when ripe. (Sorry Apple, don’t sue me for defining it).

Pods have always fascinated me. When you break open a pod, you’ll see an almost identical, beautiful, symmetrical arrangement of peas.

Have you heard of the expression “like peas in a pod?”

This expression means: resemblance, similarities, matching set, twins, identical, birds of the same feather, etc. It is derived from the fact that two peas from the same pod are virtually indistinguishable.

How does that draw a parallel to life?

The dawning of a new day is like a new pod. The sun rises and sets in the same pattern, the clock ticks with the same rhythm, and for some, even our morning routine may also be the same. That’s like the pretty predictable arrangement of the peas in a pod. But will you seize the day? Will you break the pod?

Sometimes, the unfolding of our lives can also become pretty predictable, where we cannot tell the difference between last year and this year, or when the same things keep happening to us in the same pattern. We forget that we have power and ability to break open the pod.

It hit me the other day that the future comes to us in a very predictable way, it is called “one day at a time.” If we are not discerning enough, we take a new day as “just another day, just like the peas in pod”.

Here’s another interesting thing about pods:

“Once it is ripe and ruptures on its own, the peas will no longer be in their predictable pattern.”  

The farmer knows when it is a good time to harvest peas, he looks out for when the pods are swollen – that’s a sign of opportunity not to be missed.

In life, timing is everything!

Just like the swelling of the pod, life shows us the divine moments that we are presented with everyday.

“Divine Timing is being at the right place, at the right time.”

While this is all wonderful that every day comes to us in the same way, the danger is that we some times miss out on the divine,  “when the pod breaks open.”

We may miss out on noticing what is new, different and fresh.

 When the pod opens, there is a burst of energy, and if not carefully collected, the peas will fly all over the place. The peas scatter. 

“Missed opportunities are like scattered peas.”

Do you notice when you have a “swell” in your day? When something special is swelling up and about to burst open? Or have your peas been “scattered” lately?

When was the last time you had an AHA! moment? That’s a POD-Breaking moment.

Every day is like a pod given to us. For those who have the courage to break the pod open, you may find symmetry of seeds. They may look insignificant but inside them is the gift, the miracle that you need every day! It may be a conversation, a coffee date, a smile, the colours of the sky, the sudden change in weather, meeting someone new, an event, etc.

Even though your day may always start like the predictable arrangement of peas in a pod, the secret lies in not seeing every day as the same pod. Look with keen eyes, with curiosity and eagerness. It is only then that you’ll be able to tap into the full potential and opportunities that each day brings.

For the past 4 weeks, I have been cracking open my pod every morning and allowing the surprise to unfold. It has been like a blind-folded adventure, leading to amazing discoveries and patterns that I could have easily missed if I let my pods stay predictable.

Have you experienced some POD-Breaking moments lately?