Be Courageous, Be Curious, Be Inspired

I know I've already told you I am just amazed by these otters, how they play and how they interact with each other and the world around them. They interact purposefully with the zoo visitors watching them and they interact with the other zoo animals that come into their world. Attached to their water tank is a gigantic piranha take that runs along one of the far walls from ground to ceiling. The otters love to swim along the bottom of the tank and watch not just the fish but the people through the fishtank. They watch the fish fight and eat and swim in unseen patterns back and forth. They try to tease and provoke them out of their simple routines if only for the purpose of having fun and having something to do. Don't be afraid, be yourself. You are unique and the world needs you for you and everything you are. We all have our own purpose as well as our own personal Joy. Find yours, use it and share it with the world! Find hope and inspiration in the world around you, even when you have a limited tank and surrounding. Find the piranhas around you and play with them. Get some Joy out of what you have and where you are. Is there a better alternative? Don't forget to ever be open and curious - Joy comes from anywhere and everywhere and for each of us the path to Joy is singularly different. Find your path and follow it - I promise you will love what you find down the road. 

Sometimes Off The Beaten Path Is The Best & Surest Route

One of my favorite things to do is go hiking, it is the closest to feeling free that I have ever felt. It's like the world melting away and there being nothing left except you, your companions and nature. There is so much you can learn, both about the world and about yourself. At the beginning of the trail I was on the other day I saw this marker sign that signaled the start of the trail. It was graffitied but still stood strong, showing the way. Not too far up from that point there split off to the left a dirt wash that curved around ahead to meet up once again with the trail of asphalt going to the right and curving slightly back left. I took these shots and they got me thinking afterwards. We took the normal asphalt path that eventually went to gravel and then dirt but the whole time we were next to that dirt wash I wanted to be walking over there. I don't know why, I've always been like that. I like walking for miles in flip flops for fun, I go out of my way to find the rocks and roots on the hiking trail to jump on and climb over and I love taking the hard and rough path. I should have taken that route. Oh well, next time. The point though is that sometimes the way to go in life isn't on the trail. Sometimes you need to go off the trail and take the dirt path. Life isn't scripted and living in the moment means taking whatever way is right at the time. Take the dirt path when it feels right, it's your life and your decisions. Never limit yourself by the paths that others have left behind. Don't be afraid to break your own ground and make your own way.