Gopher poking head out of ground burrow, Redwood Regional Park, Berkeley Hills, California
Photographer Jack Hollingsworth is very popular in the twitter-verse and social media circles. He has recently been posting a number of excellent weblog articles using the title premise, “I am…“. I thought I would take a moment to ride his coattails and proudly exclaim, “I am Ground Rodent.”
I know what you’re thinking, “What? Huh? … Ground Rodent?” I know it’s not the most glamorous self image one could come up with. But as Desi Arnaz would say, “Let me ‘esplain, Lucy.”
I’ve mentioned before that when wrapping up my last book project, I had to basically put myself into a state of hibernation. I was focusing on the work that needed to be done, to the exclusion of nearly everything else.
Over the last month, I’ve been picking up pieces of my business, some of which have laid dormant since my accident just over a year ago. There can be no doubt that the economy, technology, and (stock) photo industry have been continuously changing the business landscape.
Then suddenly it hit me; coming out of this period of hibernation, I felt just like that proverbial ground rodent who pokes his head out of the ground. From a mammalian self-preservation perspective, when the rodent looks around, its only thought is, “is there anything out here that will eat me?”
From a personal and business perspective, it’s helpful to occasionally survey the landscape with fresh eyes. While we don’t need to worry about the immediate threat of predators eating us for breakfast, it is important to be aware of what changes have or are taking place. Seeing, preparing, and adapting to the changes and challenges that lie ahead can be just as critical to our own survival, as it is for the rodent to spot the owl or coyote.
A wise man once told a rodent, “If the path you take to get your morning meal leads directly toward a pack of hungry coyotes, you have three options; proceed as before and get eaten, crawl back in your hole and starve, or find a new source of food. Crawling back in your hole and starving isn’t an option, and being eaten isn’t much fun.”
I hope this newfound clarity can be of benefit to you Gary. It’s not often that we get a chance to see the present since we’re often so wrapped up in day-to-day stuff.
Humility is the path to enlightenment and these realizations, though they may not seem so at the time, are supremely important in shaping one’s life path.
Guy