Giraffe

Giraffa camelopardalis

These podcasts are drawn from Naturally Intelligent by Design– a fine art picture book and poetic tale that illuminates the creative strategies of 365 animals to adapt to a changing world. Their biological designs, community dynamics, lifestyles, movement, behavior– natural intelligence, can inspire us every day of the year to live happy, healthy, sustainable lives.

Naturally Intelligent

by Design

 

 Podcast

Confident

I am inspired to be my confident me, like the Giraffe who stands tall among a savannah of iconic wild giants and travels wide- even 100 miles in stride, to feed on luscious, high quality acacia buds across the sub-Saharan countryside- yes, where the giraffe reside. Indeed, the hard-to-reach desert greens keep her lean and mean—always ready to deliver a fierce kick to another who makes her ticked. That said, the Giraffe is a gracious, elegant being and gregarious soul. Even when bending down in her awkward way to drink from the water hole, she maintains enough traction in her padded hooves to rise quickly from the deck, averting any impending threat. And when danger comes- as inevitably it will, camouflage is always her first defense drill. Normally, she can hide behind her yellow and orange-checkered skin when integrated among the desert brush within. So when a lioness draws near, she’ll first freeze in her track and hope that the pattern on her back-unique to her among her kin; hides her well and protects her from attack. Then, always thinking of her tribe, she’ll transmit a low frequency lull – audible only to other giraffe around the water hole, warning them a lioness is on patrol. 

Reflection: What non-verbal ways do we well communicate with our family to protect our kin?

 Challenge: Use your unique voice to speak your truth in an authentic and compassionate way about something that’s important to you today.