What the anteater and the otter show us about success…
It has been called “id” by Freud and hedonism by fanatics. In truth, the animal self is the pleasure-seeking part of us. Labeling this limits our experience of it. Still for reference, I’ll describe this very free and inherently joyous aspect of being as “animal.” Animal encapsulates it. The world of the living seeks pleasure and avoids pain without fear of appearing lazy, foolish, or greedy. The irony is that for many animals this breeds productivity, dignity and generosity. By looking at their actions from a spiritual rather than a biological point of view, we have a tool to get rid of our complexes.
your otter plays
Almost all animals play and act silly when they are young. Otters continue this into old age, making him a fun furry guy to be around. They play, wrestle, snow slide, chase each other, and play catch and release with their dinner. Most of us, myself included, are not so free-spirited. For example, I haven’t sled jumped since I was eleven years old and my romps are limited to brisk jogging. I could learn a lot from an otter. The most important thing: the game is good.
Playing is good. We forget this in our rush to achieve and amass. In the otter’s lost and found dinner game, he shows us that losing can be just as much fun as winning. This is contrary to the ego, but so is the spirit. In the otter dinner game he loses lunch but finds freedom: he doesn’t need to eat if he doesn’t want to. Seekers fasting for higher consciousness believe the same thing but have far less fun in the process. The otter has a better idea. He enjoys without regret or tension.
dance with spirit
Gambling is one of the few ways we can get lost without trying. Caught in the moment, we can perform a meditative-type bliss. Dance can feel like a game, but for some it is meditation. The spontaneous spasms that characterize ecstatic dance allow us to express the spirit with the body. When else can we do this? Compared to the ecstatic dance, our movements are stiff like a robot arm. When did we get so secretive? Play and dance help us to be more spontaneous. For some, this will be greeted with applause. For others, and unfortunately, ridicule. It takes courage to march to the beat of a different drum. However, by practicing courage we develop it. Dancing our private dance in front of the marching crowd is challenging.
In addition to untying our muscles, the ecstatic dance unties our minds. Although this practice has historically been thought to exist only among humans, it seems that the otter, with its somersaults and squirms, would make a great exultant dancer. Unlike us, he doesn’t wait for the music to start moving musically. His body is free and expressive. He chooses to move with the fluidity of waves instead of the stiffness of trees. We have the same choice. We do not have to jump into the water to enjoy this experience. Mind-body exercises like pilates, yoga, and tai-chi cultivate this creative body movement.
cheerful bugs
People make mistakes; animals evolve. We judge ourselves so harshly. Distinctions between right and right are necessary in terms of moral questions, but they are meaningless when it comes to trying new things. However, when we do make a mistake, we are often the first to realize it and hope to God that no one else does. Nobody likes to feel humiliated. Most of us worry about looking silly or feeling like we’re on display to be laughed at. Interestingly, feeling humiliated and being humiliated are two separate issues.
I once saw a show called Pet Star, where an anteater was called upon to perform an exceptional feat: climb a ladder, eat from a bucket, and come back down. His trainer/owner watched anxiously as the scaly creature climbed the metal stairs. There were a series of clangs on his journey as his tail hit the ladder and a louder thud as he reached the bucket. I had knocked it over. A bunch of berries and a crowd of audience members witnessed the embarrassment. But it wasn’t the anteater that shrank, it was the owner. The flushed young man proceeded to stammer excuses to the creature, who had by this time gotten off and was happily eating his dinner on the stage floor. Under the dazzling stage lights that illuminated the red face and sweaty forehead of its owner, no change could be found in the anteater. He intended to claim the delicious berry reward from him. Whether someone was impressed or not didn’t matter.
That anteater didn’t take any treats that day. However, it captured my heart. I remember what that anteater taught me: there are many mistakes on our way to victory, and others may feel that we have not earned it. We can let this bother us, or like the anteater, we can eat what we deserve for dinner.
failure is relative
Although his efforts were obvious, the anteater did not perform as others wanted. The anteater dealt with this better than most people. Unlike the anteater, we try to interpret the interpretation that others have of us. This is agony for both inner peace and performance. When we feel that we have failed, we interpret every blink as shock and every movement of the mouth as dismay. This creates the disappointment we fear. We can turn a stumble into a clown if we have Chaplin’s confidence. Similarly, an out-of-place stripe on a canvas can create abstract perfection if we so desire. Either way we must persist. What if the anteater stopped trying when there was no applause? Motivated by the end result rather than appearances, he continued. All he got was some berries, but that’s all he wanted.
get what you want
What is your heart’s desire? If others don’t think it’s important, they may tell you or feel like your efforts have been wasted. It is not. No one has the right to determine the value of your dreams. This is between you and the Universal Source. As natural beings our desires are natural, and as long as they do not harm anyone it is our divine right to aspire to them. Whether you want lighting, a BMW, or the ideal vitamin regimen, your work will be rewarded. This is as long as you keep trying. You may not get your prize the way or when you first envisioned it, but it will come to you. Just remember to dance and play along the way. This will make the ride much easier.