Life on a farm presents you with daily opportunities to take a life lesson or two from the animals.
I was watching how young animals interact with their world the other day, when everything to them is new. How they are fascinated by the simplest of things that we ignore, a leaf blowing in the wind, a bird on the fence. In discovering their world around them for the first time, they teach us a lesson we probably already knew that maybe got lost in the daily hustle and bustle of life:
Lesson 1 - Take time to appreciate the simple things
These moments in time can pass us by sometimes in minutes or even just seconds, so it doesn't take much time out of our day to stop and find joy in little things, yet they can be the best moment of the day and but for a few seconds we could have missed the opportunity. I try to stop and take in a few moments most days when they arise, stop and be aware of my surroundings, be present in that moment, it adds dimension to my day, it's free and is usually unique - a moment in time, not something mass produced.
Moments I have enjoyed this week:
The stark beauty of frosty mornings
The smell of Spring in the air
Black cockatoos dancing through the air - so graceful!
Fairy wrens looking to build a nest
Young animals are also quite often fearless, bravely encountering the new experiences life throws at them on a daily basis. They investigate, try new things, test the waters and learn from those experiences. They may not always be pleasant but that doesn't stop them trying out the next opportunity.
Lesson 2 - Don't be afraid to try new things.
Sometimes as we get older we become cautious about trying anything new, some people won't experiment with food, preferring to eat the same meals for years on end, others never leave their town and others don't take the chance to make a new friend. Or to a lesser degree many of us prefer to just live in the safe zone we have made for ourselves. But shaking things up, doing something different can really add some zest to your life, even something small like a new perfume, reading a different genre of book or taking a different route home can put a spring in your step.
I sometimes struggle with change, other times I crave it.
New things I have tried or done recently:
Learning some new software
Buying an animal at auction - heart pumping stuff!
Outsourcing some of my work
Lesson 3 - Suck it up!
I have seen how farm animals just get on with life. Despite injury or bullying, losing their mother and being sold. They don't seem to wallow in any sort of self pity, no victims or safe rooms in the animal kingdom.
Broken leg - no problem, they still get around (does help if you have 4 legs though), eye lid cut open, won't stop them getting their dinner.
The smallest in the paddock gets pushed away from the feed trough or the hay bale, they just work smarter, find ways to get their fair share - no time spent sulking or waiting for someone else to save them.
So when I feel hard done by or full of self pity, when I hurt myself and just want to wallow in a poor me mentality, I have the animals example to help me suck it up. They have to be fed or tended to rain hail or shine, 365 days a year, Christmas day or your birthday - it doesn't matter. Farm life with animals is a daily commitment which actually makes you stronger. Animals are consistent, honest and don't care in the least about being PC.
You do the wrong thing, expect to have instant responsibility for your actions. You handle them without respect, expect to get kicked and neglect your duty of care, expect sick animals.
The best lesson my animals teach me is your actions have consequences and you are responsible for both! Plain simple truth.
