September 1, 2010
"Wisdom is your perspective on life, your sense of balance, your understanding of how the various parts and principles apply and relate to each other. It embraces judgment, discernment, comprehension. It is a gestalt or oneness, an integrated wholeness."
---Stephen R. Covey
Okay. I hear you...
This week's quote is a mouthful.
But, please think through the meaning of the words with me, as they apply to our beloved pets. We may be on to something here...
You see, I've had many, many people (mostly non-pet people) tell me that animals are "lesser beings" because they don't really think through situations in a logical fashion like humans do. They say animals don't see the "big picture" and therefore, never really understand what's going on.
In other words, according to these non-pet people and Mr. Covey's definition, animals operate only from their instincts. They may be intelligent, but they don't have a higher consciousness, they aren't wise.
I beg to differ.
Every day, I see the squirrels in my yard comprehend danger when my dog is outside and use their judgment to run away (or at least scold him for his violation of their personal space!)
Every day, I watch my cat maintain a very delicate sense of balance, using his ability to understand that, when the various part of his life (food, water, sunshine, soft pillow) come together, he is One with the peacefulness of the Universe; he is happy and whole.
In many ways, animals possess wisdom about life that we humans can't begin to comprehend, precisely because they don't break life down into intellectual concepts like perspectives and principles.
They simply live.
