A few years ago, we adopted a dog into our home. She was a rather large animal, very friendly, and used to a quiet, loving home. I repeat…quiet. I was watching her for signs of distress, for she had found herself surrounded by a lot of chaos and activity from the number of children that had now become a part of her new world.
She paced a bit the first few days, unsure of the noisy place she landed. But she soon discovered that the number of petting hands and her fondness for the one who wanted her grew into contentment. By the end of the week, she was fully integrated.
Another older dog (age unknown) had crawled up on our porch several years ago. She was limping, scraggly, starving, missing her bottom front teeth, and had had her back end run over by a car several months prior, according to the vet. She had adapted from her physical injuries very well, and continued to thrive. And for whatever reason, she chose our house to be the one in which to seek shelter. Once brought in, she settled down into a world of love and attention.
A little baby bird was found by one of the children. It had fallen from its nest and we didn’t know where the nest had been. So we took the little chick inside, built it a large cage for it to fly in safely, and helped it heal and grow into a more mature bird.
The creature acclimatized quickly to its new home. It learned how to manipulate its human caretakers for food by chirping and flying in specific ways to get our attention. It became comfortable with our presence and knew when we were coming into the room.
Eventually, we were able to locate a wildlife rescue and hand over the little bird so that it could be released back into the wild. But all the time it was with us, it had adjusted to its circumstances.
There is a lesson in these creatures that we can all learn…
Animals, regardless of their circumstances, accept and adapt without questioning why. They follow their instincts and do whatever it takes to survive, driven by an unyielding will to live.
We can learn from them—fight to survive, never give up, reframe our mindset, and overcome obstacles through sheer willpower. Instead of viewing the world as fair or unfair, just or unjust, perhaps we should see our circumstances differently.
Life isn’t always what we want. There are struggles, changes, discomfort, embarrassment, and unfair treatment for everyone—no exceptions.
Viewing life through the eyes of simple creatures reveals that we can control only ourselves and our thoughts. We can’t always eliminate bad situations or make ourselves happy. True peace comes from accepting all, good and bad, and adapting to what is before us.
We can only do our best to survive what life throws at us and accept what we cannot change. That is how we preserve our dignity.
Like animals that move on despite pain and uncertainty, we can adapt and accept life’s challenges. Unlike them, we have the power to rise above our circumstances, not by will alone, but through understanding that we choose how they shape us—either for good or evil. While shifting perspective is a choice, learning to accept our fate comes from observing those who endure without question – the innocent creatures around us.
