Coming out of your Shell: Vulnerability, Growth & Crustaceans

Have you ever considered what kind of crustacean you might be?

I’ve been thinking about vulnerability a lot lately. Because without vulnerability, there is no growth.

In nature, growth only happens at the soft spot — never in the hardened, protected places. Trees grow at their tender edges. And crustaceans?

They live inside hard shells that protect them… but those shells eventually limit them. So when a crustacean needs to grow, it has to shed its shell and become temporarily vulnerable. During that time, it’s exposed. It’s risky. But without that vulnerability, growth simply can’t happen.

Not all crustaceans grow in the same way.

Some grow like lobsters. They only molt when the pressure becomes unbearable — when staying the same hurts more than the risk of change.

Others are more like hermit crabs. They grow by finding a new shell. A new role, a new environment, a new structure that better fits who they’re becoming.

Some grow like shrimp, molting more frequently but in smaller ways — steady, incremental growth through regular reflection and adjustment.

So lately, I’ve been wondering not just whether I’m growing — but how.

For a long time, my “shell” was built around competence, reliability, and having it all together.

These qualities served me well during the 20 years I spent building a career. They protected me, helped me meet responsibility, and allowed me to serve others with care and consistency.

Over time, though, I realised that I had also been hiding inside them. The shell wasn’t who I was — it was how I stayed safe.

Those qualities didn’t disappear when the shell began to loosen. What changed was the way I related to them. They no longer had to carry the weight of my identity or protect me from uncertainty.

As I softened the shell, I discovered there was more room inside — for curiosity, creativity, and growth in new directions.

If something feels tight, uncertain, or quietly shifting for you right now, you may not be doing anything wrong.

You may be reaching that soft, tender place where growth begins.

So I’ll leave you with the question I’m sitting with too:

What kind of crustacean do you feel like right now? 🦀