Lessons from Penguins

I am falling in love with Penguins.  I can't wait to watch their funny antics.  They are hilarious on land and so majestically perfect underwater.  They speed like bullets through the water.  We were lucky enough to dive with the northern-most living penguins of the world in the Galapagos, but I never did get any on film underwater because they were so fast. This time with video and perhaps photographs, I will get some winners like this:

Faith gave us a book for Christmas "Flipping Brilliant:  A Penguin's Guide to a Happy Life" by Patrick Regan.  Some of my favorites from that book are:

1.   Life is not black and white - even the mostly black and white penguins have bits of other colors: beaks, feet, "eyebrows", etc.  Indeed, life is all about the 50 shades of grey.  Black and white choices are easy, but they are rare in life. 
2. Determination makes all the difference.  Penguins certainly are determined creatures.  Completely awkward on land, they migrate around 100 miles inland to birth their young and travel back to the melting ice sheet to fish and feed. Life isn't easy for us either.  Having determination, spunk, and a bit of feistiness is essential to get through the rough patches.
3. Don't always follow the crowd, but do believe in the camaraderie of kindred souls.  During the migration, the penguins huddle together in a tight circle, rotating positions so that no one has to bear all the brunt of the high winds and bitter cold.  It is important to have friends in life.  There is nothing better than friends that just accept you for who you are, faults and all, and love you just the same.  
4. Uphills don't last forever.  Life has lots of uphills but eventually a downhill slide comes our way, and can it ever be a blast!   Without the uphills, perhaps we would not have as much appreciation for the times when life is free and easy.
5. Learn to be still.  Penguins, during the ferociousness of storms, learn to huddle together and be still.  They don't squawk, they don't even look up or around.  They duck their heads and become very still. Contemplative. We humans need more of that time.  Our world has become so overstimulating that we forget that our minds and hearts need to be still in order to grow and recharge. 

I am sure I will learn much more about Penguins and fall more in love with them when I visit Antarctica.  I hear the smell is overwhelming too (but will use that good ol' medic trick Vicks vapo-rub under the nose!).

Dreaming.....