5 Things to learn from a pineapple

It is easy to forget how much we can learn about ourselves from the external world. We are taught to see difference or separation rather than sameness or opportunities to shift perception. When on an exotic vacation or noticing the exotic where we are, we invite getting to know the unfamilliar in ourselves, making the unconscious, conscious so that we can see differently. Consider 5 Things to learn from a pineapple:

1. Recognize appearances are deceiving

Pineapples as spiky. Some might judge them as weird on the outside.  Yet, they can be sweet, juicy and full of pleasant surprises on the inside.  The lesson is we are each more than we appear.  Each of us can grow aware that we are more than we are taught to see about our external selves. Part of our deeper purpose is to explore and expand into more of our untapped potential.

2.  Intuit hardness hides softness

Although we can seem hard, stoic, unapproachable or hard to get -to-know on the outside, just like a pineapple, we all have soft inner core.  We stand tall but do we silently feel confident or put up a front?  The more we are kind to ourselves, the more we allow ourselves to speak our truth and be vulnerable, the more the outer hardness softens, the more we attract people and situations into our lives that empower us.

3. Know growth only happens in the right conditions

We are each like a pineapple which only grows in the right conditions. It cannot be too hot or too cold. There has to be enough sun and water, the right nutrient-rich soil. As we get to know and listen to the seed of our true selves, we naturally plant ourselves where we grow best, or move, transplant ourselves in spaces suited to different stages of our evolution. What feels right nurtures our soul growth. 

4. See groundedness nurtures growth

The pineapple's root system is broad and shallow with roots that often extend beyond its leaves, which can reach up to 5 feet long.  What does this tell you about feeling spread out, over-extended or properly grounded in your life? This invites you to discern activities that feel too confining, be unafraid to shift focus, orientation to face and absorb more sun. Its always okay to put down new roots.  (pineapple rows image by Nigel Goodman)

5. Discover what is self-seeding

Cut off the bottom of a pineapple and plant it to grow another.  Each of us is birthing something new.  When we are ready to express a vision or intention, we let it blossom. Upon closer look, a pineapple looks like a giant pinecone. This symbolizes the pineal gland or third eye (of the endocrine system), immortality and enlightenment that we can each evolve into. Light flows downward from the heavens into the green leaves. Pineapples offer a direct example of co-creation, self-directed growth, expansion, and regeneration.  Ask how a pineapple invites us to flower from within. (pineapple planting image by huffpost.com)