Sympathetic

I am inspired to be my sympathetic me like the African elephant, who cools her sometimes over-heated feet with her large and veined ears- quite the evolutionary treat. The African elephant is a compassionate and calming diplomat. They are often able to dissipate group tension by listening with keen attention and floppy ears to real (or imagined) elephant clan fears. Consequently, any concern the elephant might have will disappear before a tear will appear. This is very healthy for the whole clan far and near to keep cool and to maintain peace from year to year. Indeed, the elephants live long and well probably because the mothers share in the child-rearing task, by taking a turn to teach young elephants what to learn and when it’s safe in the sun to bask. We also may love the elephant for the prosperity and protection Ganesha might bring, but we surely adore the African Elephant for her emotionally intelligent wellspring. For it is the elephant whom we have observed time and again-celebrating the birth and mourning the death of a fellow elephant soul, even hosting a family funeral at the water hole. Lastly, on a rather sad and heart-breaking note — when a child has fallen forever asleep, oh how the mother will weep—her melancholy cries competing with the darkness until her heart skips a beat. Then, without a fight, she’ll let her own life go in the eerie silence of the moonlight.

Reflection: Who do you sincerely love in your life? Now is the time to let them know you care. You never know when it’s too late.

Challenge: Create a strategy for cooling your angry self down when you develop a hot head, realizing most of what upsets us is really trivial in the larger open savannah scheme of life.