Imagine living a life with the potential to harness hardships, neutralize suffering and transform adversity into the silver lining of life. The pearl-producing oyster does just that and provides a lesson for us all.

We are more similar than we know to the soft, tender, vulnerable mollusk. We are also made up of a multitude of tender, vulnerable, empathic traits. The oyster has a protective shell to ensure it survives the onslaught of the ocean floor and the numerous invaders that can disrupt its innermost soft body. We also have many emotional layers of armor. Some of these layers are necessary and others, when woven too tightly, prevent us from processing the full experience of life and connection. When the smallest bit of sand enters the oyster’s protective shell, the oyster emits a mineral substance called mother-of-pearl to coat and counteract the irritant. This secretion builds up over time forming a lustrous, smooth pearl. The maturation process needed to produce a captivating stone takes patience and varies in time from six months to four years depending on the size.

Imagine humans’ ability to “coat” the gritty experiences of life to continuously harvest beauty. This process happens for humans daily when we learn to settle into transformation through our suffering and change.

Sometimes life tremors feel too intense. When we reflect on the steps the oyster is undergoing, we see the map outlining steps to transformation. Adversity leads to growth. Growth leads to resilience. Transformation produces a gift of intangibility.

The pearls of our life come from our traumas. We do not need to go “pearl farming” and look for irritants in our lives to coat ourselves with acceptance and love. We merely need to be open to working through the suffering when it arises. The pearl teaches us to not deny the pain but engage with it and invite transformation.

Our lives work in mysterious ways of positive modification when we allow the 10,000 joys and 10,000 sorrows to enter as guests. It is said that the only living organism to produce a gemstone is the oyster, yet humans become pearls themselves by living a life where embracing adversity leads to self-actualization.

Surya Das is a Buddhist meditation teacher who coined the pearl principle: “No inner irritation; no pearl.” By the end of our lives, it is possible to have a string of radiant pearls on proud display that reflect our brokenness interconnected with our beauty.

Jennifer Di Francesco is a wellness explorer and desert adventurist and can be reached at www.coachellabellaboho.com.