I hear lots of people saying this and I have to be honest, the idea appeals to me!
I look at my animals and they are not rushing around, in fact they are relaxing in the most comfortable armchair, with not a care in the world.
For them the essence of life is still the base of Maslov’s pyramid: a safe place to eat, drink and sex . My pets add playtime and personal enjoyment to this basic list!
Mind you, I take care of their veterinary costs; I keep their food bowl full and pay the heating bills.
Nowadays in our society, we are further than ever from our natural animal instinct.
I ‘m not talking about the instinct of sex (that’s altogether another subject), but the rest. We run about chasing day dreams, a bigger house, a more expensive car, a new hobby, eating out with friends, we want to take the kids to the skating rink or horse riding, we follow the latest fashion news, dream of taking a holiday in some exotic setting, we invest in our career … and all of this costs money !
There are many couples who both go out to work and are striving to succeed but loose the art of enjoyment, fulfillment…
We find ourselves racing against the clock wanting more, always more…!
We fulfill our basic needs, food, drink, a roof over our heads, probably sex (except when we are too tired) but we have no real rest, let alone peace of mind or body .
Today my partner came home from work saying he was tired. “I should listen to my body,” he said.
He’s right, but what he said surprised me: I have always presumed that men are more selfish and more inclined to delegate tasks whereas women often want to take on too much, have difficulty delegating and end up being chronically tired.
However it would seem that my partner was also being too busy striving to achieve his dream lifestyle.
I am curious as to whether he will actually make any changes as men are supposedly more driven, more active than women.
Personally I frequently doubt this sweeping statement when I find myself multi-tasking and trying to get 101 things done in one day as any ‘good’ woman should!
No question of taking time to unwind or doing things gradually.
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Animals have surrendered a part of their natural instincts and freedom in exchange for luxury and safety, however they retain their playfulness and their ability to be carefree. Domestication has advantages and disadvantages for animals. Some animals made or make a conscious choice. We organize their lives and pay their bills in a way that makes them largely dependent on us. The more domesticated the animal, dogs for example, the more they are dependant..
Life, for humans and animals consists of a series of choices.
A friend once said to me “a machine that always runs at full speed will eventually break down.” I think we can substitute the words ‘a human’ for ‘a machine’.
More and more of us are becoming depressed, having a burnout, suffering chronic fatigue syndrome or becoming prone to diseases such as cancer and we seem to be unable to find satisfaction in our lives.
So we must rethink our priorities (I have intentionally used the words ‘we must’ because we are often forced by illness, debt etc to make lifestyle choices).
So what do we choose, a back to basics lifestyle, following the example of the animals or luxury but possibly at the expense of our health, happiness and personal freedom.
Whatever you choose there will be consequences.
I personally attach great importance to Animal Reflection ® and the lessons we can learn from animals.
My pets can eat when they feel like it (and often in the case of the cats, where they like) and take their time to eat. When they wake up they take the time to stretch instead of leaping into action, in this way they protect their body. They sleep when they are tired and rest frequently. When they feel like playing they do so, totally unselfconsciously and with great enjoyment. I also want the same luxury and carefree lifestyle but there are consequences. Will I retain my personal freedom?
Maybe I can also choose to have it both ways..
I just have to choose a human partner who will care for me, keep me in luxury, and provide good food and a beautiful home! Oh and of course they will allow me to keep my personal freedom so that l can relax and find peace and my animals will also be cared for, we go full circle.
What is your opinion? I would like to hear from you!