Lately I’ve been working on my capacity for feeling capable. In a discussion about this, it was pointed out to me the value of observing animals in this regard. How they can model capability and confidence through deliberate and natural actions. For instance, I’m currently watching a squirrel perched on top of a gate cleaning itself. It looks relaxed and shows no apparent fear of falling. A competent squirrel nonchalantly bathing while performing incredible feats of balance.
This concept of looking to animals for modeling resonated with me because I tend to relate to them a lot. As a child when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up the answer was a kangaroo.
“You can’t be a kangaroo…”
“You told me I could be whatever I wanted…”
Thinking deeper about this, I began recollecting images of the confidence, skill, and grace exhibited by animals; the way large (and small) cats stalk their prey, run and climb, badgers attacking bee hives, and pine martins. Pine martins scrambling and jumping through tree canopies, hunting squirrels and doing other pine martin-y type things.
Watching these agile fuzzy critters, there doesn’t seem to be any second guessing themselves, no question of capability. They also don’t seem to take time to be impressed with themselves, at least not in that way that interrupts flow and breeds self consciousness. They simply appear to be focused and moving how they are built to move. I’ll add that it looks like it feels good to move the way they do. It looks fun.
Attempting to emulate pine martins has made me think about the difference between having confidence and being confident. The difference between telling myself “I’m good at this” and simply acting out the intuition and skill that is there without allowing negative self talk to interfere (I’m guessing that pine martins don’t do negative self talk.) Being confident requires no judgment, it simply requires being.
So pine martins are now on my list of role models and I no longer want to be a kangaroo when I grow up.
Who are some of your role models?