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what is your passion?

Someone asked me what my passion is.  I realised that I had thought I knew, but may have been incorrect.  My passion - I used to say - Animal Behaviour!
The lesson - at some point I had identified with the passion rather than be in awe of it.

Years back I realised that my life force is driven by the concept of 'wonderment'.  A sense of awe and wonder about the mysteries of animal behaviour is where my labelled passion was identified.

On a fabulous run on Durban's ocean promenade, followed by a dip in the amazing Indian Ocean, I realised that 'wonderment' - and experiencing this sensation is in fact my passion.  This is not limited to Animal Behaviour.  Feeling the capacity of what a body can do, and the sensation of the cool ocean after a sweaty run is part of that wonderment.  Noticing a bird on the wing or the glint in a mischievous dolphins eye my experience of wonderment.  Watching fast moving clouds or grass growing through a tar road - that is amazing wonderment.  All these experiences and so much more are met with awe.  Learning new things and moving beyond self-limited ideas - that is total wonderment.  Thus, communicating with other species - through effective behaviour management - is part of a great passion.

Don't get caught up in labelling anything.  Least of all your passion.


Because - it will diminish your ability to love what you do.  If you litigate - even in your own terms - where you should be happy and fulfilled.

Like all animal behaviour people, my most exciting moments are when I communicate with animals - and these are generally intuitively fuelled.  They have nothing to do with who I think I am or should be.  The moments are simply like diving under a wave.  Being where I am with a sense of wonder.

Essentially, wonderment is only possible with an enormous sense of gratitude.  For in gratitude, all positive feelings are possible.  This is not the gratitude borne out of a what I expect.  It is gratitude that rises out of grace.

So - relative to ethical animal behaviour management, we should simply be where we are, communicating without expectation.  For the sake of being there and nothing more or less.

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