Go for It
- Jean Maher
- Jul 16
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 16
I captured a chipmunk in action one day. She had her eye on a bird feeder near my garden and was very determined to reach it. She took a moment and jumped, grabbing the base of the feeder and swinging up onto the tray. She sat there, stuffing seeds into her cheeks as fast as she could.
The feeder is drained every day - it's a popular place. At any moment, the chipmunk could be dethroned from her perch by larger creatures hungry for a quick easy snack of seeds. On the larger size are deer, gray squirrels, black squirrels, turkeys, crows. Diminutive songbirds like this fly-up feeder, among them: indigo buntings, goldfinches, sapsuckers, blue jays, and house finches.
As I thought about her making that leap onto the feeder, she had to commit. She had to let go of that pole and focus on that feeder tray - on what she wanted: a prepared meal.
Her actions remind me I am no different. If I focus on what I honestly want, experience is teaching me that things open up. Usually not in the way my logical mind has imagined it to happen, but if I trust what appears and follow the thread, things work out.
It's taken me a bit to move this along. Is it really OK to do what I want? Old beliefs are sticky.
Answering 'what do I want?' is my challenge. Today I want to 'get out there' in the world; to shrug off my tendency to hole up. I want to further my writing and photography, complete the next book while I share the book I published. I want to be my best self every day. I've believed for so long that it is a selfish thing - to do what I want. But I'm growing up a little and am letting that sink in. I can be a better person if I follow what comes naturally to me.
It's the idea of flow. I lose track of time when immersing myself in a walk, curating my photos, editing presentations for others, sharing my enthusiasm for Nature with kids and adults alike. It's fun and meaningful for me. And I'm a better person because of it for me, and hopefully, if I stay out of the way, I can be better for others, too.
Back to the chipmunk -- this little one was brave enough to make a grab for the feeder. I know she was keeping an eye on me, but she stayed with herself to take the opportunity that appeared.
She looked at me and held her spot. She apparently did not see me as a threat as I held my spot.
I find it intriguing how Nature in all its forms keeps me in the present and out of my head, if only for a minute. I'm grateful for this small creature sharing this moment with me.
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