Lessons we can learn from nature

Animals, pets or wild, live more purely than we as humans do. They are completely true to who they are supposed to be, and they are living their purpose. Granted, they are not as intelligent as humans, but we can certainly take a lesson from their genuine nature.
 
They don’t try to impress. They don’t pretend to be something other than what they are. They don’t hide their feelings. And they even follow social norms within their group. They are who they are, and they don’t even think about being anything else. A bear doesn’t think, “I’ll be a deer today.” A fish doesn’t say, “I think today I shall be a whale.”  That only happens in stories. I recently read a children’s book to my granddaughter where the bunny thought he would try to be another animal, but in the end, found he liked it best just being a bunny.
 
Our best life can be lived when we too discover that it’s best when we are just being ourself, being who we are meant to be. We are all individuals. We all have things that make us different, that make us special. If we were all the same that would be rather boring. Our differences complement each other. That’s what make for an efficiently run company, the different talents each employee brings to the table. If everyone was good at the same thing the company, or the world, wouldn’t thrive. We can and should value the differences of each other.
 
No one can be you better than you! Embrace it. Own it. Be courageous. Don’t live your life feeling like you need to be a certain way because that’s what someone else expects of you. It’s not fair to put those types of expectations on anyone. One shouldn’t try to impose their will or pass judgement on someone else because they don’t fit into their mold or into their expectations.
 
True love is unconditional. If someone doesn’t like you because you’re different in some way, find new friends. A true friend loves you because you are genuine and true to yourself. Phonies often live lives of quiet desperation, thinking they have to be a certain way to have friends, or so someone will like them. I dare say, you will find friends that will like you for who you really are when you are true to yourself, and not being fake or putting on airs.
 
We can only find true freedom and happiness when we live life being ourself, our true genuine self and being honest about who we are on the inside. We CAN be like the animals who live free, happy lives, being true to themselves and being who God created them to be.
 
As humans, we can even do better. We can be kind, respectful, loving, caring, accepting and appreciating each person, each individual, knowing they too, just like you and me, are created by God and that they are living the life they are meant to live, even when it looks different.
 
For those that have not been living completely yourself, give yourself permission to be you, the real you. Find your freedom and the happiness that you so deserve.
 
To those who have been placing expectations on others, love them unconditionally. You too will find a new sense of freedom when you let that go and rejoice with them in love and freedom. We can all strive to love more because LOVE WILL overcome!

Photo by Sam Carter on Unsplash

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