Have you ever taken the time to observe an animal? I love to sit and watch animals, and as often as I can, I try to take the time to observe and appreciate the animals around me here at SeaWorld. One of the neatest animals to just sit and watch are the penguins, and believe me, they provide endless enjoyment. Their trademark comical waddle and black and white feather tuxedo are what draw us all in, but they're more than just funny little animals. These birds are serious survivors that can thrive in Earth's most extreme weather. In fact, we can learn so much by watching penguins that we may even learn an important lesson or two.
1. Stay true to your commitments and never give up.
Penguins make great parents, endure many hardships and make difficult sacrifices to care for and raise their chicks. Every year, as breeding season begins, many species of penguins leap from their watery homes to travel to their nesting grounds. King and gentoo penguins my walk as far as two miles inland, and chinstrap penguins may nest on rocky slopes up to 1600 feet above sea level. Enduring exhausting travel, extreme weather, starvation, and danger from predators, both male and female penguins take turns guarding the eggs and baby chicks for a period of several months.
As we head into 2010 and prepare for what lies ahead, many of us make resolutions to eat and spend less, exercise more, improve our relationships, and become more responsible. With so many commitments and new experiences along with the uncertainty of the future, we all sometimes can feel discouraged. Take a lesson from the penguins, and remember that sometimes it is important to keep going, even if it means you have to slide around on your belly for awhile.
2. Work as a team
In the case of emperor penguins, working as a team is critical. It is a matter of survival. Emperor penguin breeding season is in the middle of the winter in Antarctica. These penguins do not build nests; rather they balance their one egg on the top of their feet. They huddle together to stay warm as a defense mechanism against the cold. As they huddle, the penguins move in a circular pattern so that everyone has a turn on the inside as well as the outside. Teamwork is such an important skill. When people work together, progress is made. We achieve goals and get things done more efficiently. When one person doesn't pull their weight, it affects everyone around them.
3. Be loyal
Penguins are monogamous per breeding season. In other words, they remain in the same pair for the season, and if they can find the same mate next year, they will pair up again. Loyalty is one of the greatest qualities a person can possess in any type of relationship. Commitment, faithfulness, and the desire to be there for that person no matter what is a trait that is not only hard to find in people but it's also hard to do. Stay loyal to your friends and family.
4. Take a leap of faith
As the penguin chicks grow and begin to develop their feathers, parents continue to care for them, feeding them, and teaching them the basics for survival such as how to swim. Eventually, they grow their waterproof feathers; they enter the water, and become independent from their parents. Sometimes it is important to move on and let go. This week, as we leave 2009 and head into the new year, it is time to take that next step, or leap of faith into a brave new world as these little penguins do with their first courageous leap into the sea.
As we all fledge from 2009 into 2010, never miss an opportunity to be still and observe nature. See it. Appreciate it. Love it. You never know how much you will come away with and learn about yourself in the process.
This year, I would like to resolve to become more like a penguin.
