Letting Go – Day 5
Letting Go – Day 5
By Jenny Griffin
Systems of Nature: The Animal World
So many of us share our lives with animals, and have throughout history. We have revered them, hunted them, domesticated them, eaten them, been eaten by them, and shared this planet with them for millennia. Yet how often do we take the time to consider what they come here to show us in their own very special way? And what can they teach us about letting go?
The Galapagos Islands, located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of South America, are home to some of the Earth’s most incredible creatures. Their unique location, on a confluence of 4 major currents and several tectonic plates, means the geology and ecology of the place houses some species found nowhere else on the planet. The islands house a large proportion of the world’s Blue-footed Booby population. These creatures have large blue feet and are fairly awkward on land, but are incredibly agile divers. They group together and call out in unison as they launch attacks on the shoals of fish that surround the islands. They dive, sometimes in groups of hundreds, again and again, to catch their prey. If an individual bird misses a fish the first time, there will be another chance. There is no fighting over fish; there is unity in the knowledge that there will be more. This can demonstrate for us that letting go of the need to eke out an existence as an individual, to outperform or out-dive others, is not always the best strategy. Sometimes letting go of the need to compete, knowing our needs will be met, can bring harmony and security for all involved.
