There are processes in nature that can teach us far more about ourselves than we might imagine. All it takes is learning how to truly listen. That’s what Leonardo da Vinci did—spending countless hours observing plants, animals, and flowing water to discover the laws of life.
One of the most fascinating processes, in my opinion, is the way a pearl is formed.
A Wonder That Requires No Polishing
Unlike most gemstones—which require cutting, sanding, and polishing to be considered “precious”—a pearl is born already perfect. For thousands of years, the pearl was a mystery: where does that beauty come from? How does it happen?
It was considered a rare and mystical phenomenon, inspiring writers, painters, and religious figures alike. From the Bible to the Quran, the pearl became a symbol of purity, femininity, and abundance.
Real pearls, in nature, are incredibly rare. Only a small percentage of oysters produce them, and even that—only under extreme conditions. For centuries, people tried to crack the secret of pearl formation—to no avail.
Then, in the early 20th century, three Japanese researchers each managed, independently, to discover the secret: a pearl forms in response to an irritation. A foreign body—like a grain of sand, a parasite, or a shard—enters the oyster’s tissue. And instead of rejecting it, the oyster wraps it again and again in protective layers—until it becomes a pearl.
The Pearl as a Metaphor
Like the oyster, we too experience intrusions: of circumstances, words, emotions, losses, and breaks. Our natural reaction is to close off, push away, defend ourselves. But what if—instead of rejecting the pain—we stayed with it, observed it, wrapped it in layers of understanding, compassion, and attention?
“It’s not that I’m so smart—it’s just that I stay with the question longer.”
– Albert Einstein
And if we stayed—perhaps we, too, would form a pearl?
As Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani wrote: “The thought is like a diver, diving into the sea of the heart to seek the pearls of wisdom…”
Stories of People Who Turned Hardship into Pearls
Milton Erickson – Listening Through the Body
At age 17, Dr. Milton Erickson contracted polio. He became almost completely paralyzed, but something in him remained alert. He lay in bed, unable to move or speak—and began observing the people around him. He noticed something simple yet profound: people say one thing, but their body language tells another story.
From this insight began his journey to becoming one of the fathers of modern hypnosis and a major influence on the development of NLP. Later, he healed himself—first in imagination, then in body. While still in a wheelchair, he embarked on a 1,000-mile canoe trip. By the end, he could walk with a cane.
Jill Bolte Taylor – A Brain Watching Itself
The story of neuroscientist Jill Bolte Taylor is also one of transformation. At age 37, she suffered a massive stroke—but thanks to her scientific background, she was able to understand what was happening to her in real-time.
She wrote a book about her healing experience and the profound insight it brought, which became a global bestseller. Her TED Talk, My Stroke of Insight, is one of the most viewed in the platform’s history.
Felix Klieser – Playing Without Hands
Felix Klieser was born without arms. And yet, he became one of the leading horn players in the world—mastering one of the most complex wind instruments.
How? He learned to operate the valves with his feet, practiced eight hours a day, and by a young age was already performing on international stages. He didn’t “overcome” the limitation—he adapted his life around it, and flourished from within it.
Was It Good That These Things Happened to Them?
A difficult question.
Would Jill have chosen to avoid the stroke? Would Erickson have opted out of polio? Probably not. But what is certain is—without those events, we may never have heard of them.
They transformed the break into a source of inspiration. The hardship—into a pearl.
How? They didn’t insist on what wasn’t there. They started with what was.
Like the oyster, they didn’t expel the wound—they wrapped it. Layer after layer. With attention, compassion, and determination.
And What About Us?
We too experience intrusive irritants—pains, injuries, traumas. Sometimes, there’s nothing we can do about them. But there is a way to relate to them.
Our protective layer—the one that wraps the wound and keeps it from poisoning us—can be awareness. Observation. The choice not to identify with the pain, but to befriend it.
And then, perhaps, from the decay—a pearl will grow.
To End
If you’re curious to better understand how a pearl is formed, here’s a fascinating video that illustrates the process visually: