From a small seed
During our training to become an Ollie Coach we ask our trainees to write a metaphor of their Ollie Journey.
From a Small Seed
Once, there was a small seed planted in uncertain soil.
From the very beginning, the seed believed it had been placed in the wrong place. It watched other seeds sprout quickly—stretching confidently toward the light—while it remained buried, quiet, unsure.
A voice inside whispered, “You’re not ready. You’ll never grow the way they do.”
So the seed stayed small for a long time.
But what the seed couldn’t see was this: beneath the surface, roots were slowly forming. Not the quick, fragile kind—but deep, intricate ones. Every doubt, every moment of hesitation, pushed those roots further down, strengthening them in ways the others didn’t need yet.
The soil felt heavy at times—like it might suffocate instead of support. But over time, the seed began to notice something subtle…
The pressure wasn’t crushing it. It was shaping it.
One day, almost without realizing, a tiny green shoot pushed upward. It trembled as it broke through the surface, expecting judgment. But instead, it found air. Light. Space.
The voice returned softer this time: “What if you can’t keep growing?”
But something new answered back:“What if I already am?”
The seed—now a tender plant—continued to grow, not because the doubt had disappeared, but because it had learned how to grow with it. Its roots anchored it. Its experiences fed it. The same uncertainty that once held it back had quietly built resilience, empathy, and depth.
And as it grew taller, it realized something else.
The other plants weren’t watching to compare. They were simply growing too.
One day, it noticed something unexpected—new seeds gathering nearby. Fragile. Hesitant. Wondering if they belonged.
And without even thinking, the plant leaned gently toward them, offering shade, space, and quiet reassurance.
Not because it had become perfect.
But because it had grown through not feeling good enough—and learned how to stay.
And that’s when it understood:
It hadn’t needed to feel ready to begin: It only needed to keep growing long enough to become someone who could sit beside others while they learned to grow too and believe it is possible.
PB OS21