This became very apparent to me this weekend when I went to take out the trash. As I walked out the door, I noticed in the corner of my eye something that resembled a large clod in our carport. When I turned around to see what it was, I discovered a large Box Turtle. Not wishing to hurt the turtle, I used a couple of boards to guide him out of the carport and back into the lawn.
After leaving the carport, the turtle took off across the lawn to my neighbor's yard. As he neared the basement wall of the neighbor's house, he turned left and proceeded down the hill. He continued to walk slowly until he reached the fence that surrounded the neighbor children's play area.
Upon seeing the fence, the turtle hesitated. After looking over the situation for a few seconds he decided to turn around and headed back up the hill (following the same path he had previously used). The irony of the situation was that if he turned left at the fence, and followed it for a few yards to its end, he could have turned right and headed on his merry way. Instead, he chose to return the way he had previously come.
After witnessing this event, I started thinking about how I could apply this turtle's lesson to my own life. Quickly, I thought about how we as individuals react when faced with a similar obstacle. In our daily lives (both work and private) we face obstacles that hinder our success, happiness, and fulfillment. Like the turtle, many times we turn away and go back the way we came because it feels comfortable. We are not willing to consider the possibilities that can allow us to successfully overcome these obstacles.
Meanwhile, sometimes we are willing to seek out other alternatives. When faced with an obstacle, we seek out the possibilities. When we reach the fence, we are willing to take the risk and turn left.
As I continued to watch the turtle, it became apparent to me that this was not the end of the lesson. After reaching the top of the hill, the turtle turned left and walked along the front of the neighbor's house. Reaching the far end of the structure, he turned left again and started down the hill, thus missing the fence.
Thinking about this, I realized that there is a third kind of reaction. Sometimes we initially turn back and look like we are giving up. However, we realize that to be successful, we sometimes have to return to where we have been to find a solution. While moving backward we are using the time to reassess the situation, see where we went astray, and then when we find an opportunity, seize upon it and change course.
It is true. Nature has so much to teach us...if we just notice.