Wilderness Workshop No.19
Sloths are fascinating creatures. Did you know:
+ some of the reasons they move so slowly are because they are almost blind, and the leaves they eat are not very nutritious or energy-giving. Sometimes they take up to 30 days to digest!
+ sloths only poop once a week and when they do they lose almost 30% of their body weight
+ carry a whole ecosystem on their bodies, especially sloth moths, which lay their eggs in the sloth fur, releasing nitrous oxide, which contributes to the growth of green algae on the sloths body, that provides the sloth with additional food.
+ sloths can mate, give birth, sleep and even die hanging upside down?
So what life insights can we gain from these beautiful, fascinating creatures.
THEY HAVE A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE
As they are able to happily hang upside down and rotate their necks 270 degrees, sloths have a unique and panoramic perspective of their world. Sometimes we benefit from being sloth-like and by looking at a challenge from many different angles instead of only seeing one solution.
THEY TAKE THEIR TIME
Life is busy. It is easy to rush through life and miss it all,
Sloths have no problem taking life slowly. In fact, they rarely move more than 100 m (328 ft) in a day and their average speed does not exceed 0.5-0.6 kph (0.31-0.37 mph)
Ok, you don't have to be that slow! But why not be sloth-like and reflective. Slow down to speed up. Use your energy wisely by prioritizing and not running around all day "putting out fires". Focus your energy on what is valuable and "don't sweat the small stuff".
THEY ARE PERSEVERING
Sloths are the epitome of perseverance and solidity. Even when their whole world turns upside down, they know to keep still and hold tight; their optimism and positivity endear them to many.
THEY RECOGNISE THE VALUE OF INTERDEPENDENCE
Sloths make their home to pyralid moths. The moths release inorganic nitrogen which aids the growth of green algae on the sloth's fur. Apparently, green algae is a sloth delicacy, right there on demand.
The sloths will even risk their own lives from predators once a week by climbing down trees to poop and allow the moths to lay their eggs in the soil & sloth dung. The moths then hatch and fly back up to find the sloth.
This is an incredible example of how in nature many species work together in a mutually beneficial way. Hence the moral of the story is that if you want to live a healthy life with a healthy diet you better look after where it comes from!
If you are keen to explore how to slow down, be persevering, and use your energy in the most productive areas of your life:
Let's chat.
Please email me on wildernessencountersafrica@gmail.com to indicate your intention and I would be happy to offer you FREE online coaching for 45mins. I have been a Life Counselor and Psychotherapist for over 30 years now, so happy to offer some of the expertise and experience I have gained along the way.
If you would like to join in with Weekly Wilderness Webinars please email me wildernessencountersafrica@gmail.com
so I can send you the zoom link to connect in