Learn from the Mighty Bighorn

"High Impact"

24" x 40"

Woodburned on birch

Available

Over the last several months, bighorn sheep have been on my mind. I've enjoyed developing this scene of the two bighorns charging into combat with each other.  Imagine the scenery and the sound!  During this time I have studied various sources of info about these amazing animals.  They are fascinating creations of intentional design!  In thinking about them, a number of carry-over lessons for life emerge. Here'a a few I'll share with you:

1.  Face challenges head-on.

Bighorn sheep don't run the other direction.  They run into the conflict.  Often the temptation for us is to employ avoidance techniques, but the problem doesn't go away.  It is still there, often growing worse over time.  Be like a bighorn....run to the problem and deal with it straightaway.  Nip it in the bud.

2.  Know where your nourishment is found.

During the winter months, bighorns migrate from the high alpine meadows to lower elevations where food isn't covered in deep drifts. If they stayed up high, they would die. Likewise, we need to be aware of what nourishes our souls and avail ourselves of good substance. With busy schedules, it is easy to attempt to "run on empty", but that leads to malnutrition and "dis"-ease to our lives.  Bighorns also ruminate, or chew the cud.  This is part of their nutrition process. That takes time, but it is necessary for gaining maximum nourishment from their food.  I appreciate this quote by Daniel Goleman:  "People who are self-reflective---who take time out to pray or to meditate or have some way of being in nature regularly, who spend time being with themselves and have a rich interior life---are better able to pay full attention to other people."

King David also wrote about the impact of nourishing one's inner life from Psalm 1:

"Oh, the joys of those who...delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night.  They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do."

3.  Absorb hard knocks.

The impact of two charging bighorn rams is absorbed through their bodies due to their unique design.  The rams' horns consist of two layers.  Their skulls are double-layered and they also have a massive tendon between their skull and spine to help the head pivot and recoil.  When we encounter setbacks or run into obstacles in life, the better tactic is to not be brittle and abrasive to them, but to absorb and learn from the impact.  Gain all the lessons you can and turn it into a stepping stone in your life, not a stumbling block.

4.  Get a grip on challenges.

Bighorn sheep hooves are remarkably designed to be able to grip on barely a two-inch rock ledge.  The cloven front hooves allow for gripping uneven rock.  The outer edge of the hoof is hard while the inner surface is a rubbery material to help with gripping.  In our lives, we need to be prepared for rough terrain and steep climbs.  Study the lives of others, read, and be a careful observer of what works in life.  Abraham Lincoln said:  "I must read and study to prepare myself, for someday my chance will come."

5.  Be discerning.

The bighorn sheep have very keen eyesight.  They can accurately judge distances for leaping and landing safely.  Predators can be spotted from far away, as much as 8x power binoculars.  It is very difficult to successfully sneak up on a herd of bighorns. Likewise, we need to develop our discernment for what is true, excellent, admirable, honorable, and right.  Doing this will keep us from error and stumbling along the way.

6.  Climb higher.

A survival factor for the bighorn sheep is to stay in proximity to what is called "escape terrain".  That is why they are found in canyons, cliffs, and on steep slopes.  They have excellent memories and can recall all the crooks and crannies and crevices for good footing. They know what will hold up in making a 20 ft. leap across space.  And they know that keeping higher than their predators can go when under attack is vital.  Like them, we need to get higher than our problems.  Gaining ground is a gain in perspective.  It puts us out of reach so that difficulties cannot take us under.  We need to know our strengths and weaknesses.  But even more, we need to have a place of refuge that is greater than what assails us.  I love what King David writes in Psalm 91:  "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the LORD, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.' "

Live bravely and beautifully!

Footgear for the Climb

(Small gouache study of Bighorn Sheep)

One of my favorite animals to include in my artwork is the Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep.  I am in awe of their ability to climb impossible-looking rocky slopes.  Their impressive horns give them a regal look.  These wild sheep can take daring leaps across open ledges that take one's breath away.  

Let's zoom in and take a closer look at the Bighorns' hooves.  Here we see amazing design at work.  The outer edge of the hoof is hard with sharp edges, while the bottoms are hollow in the center which is made of

a rubbery substance.  This enables them to grip hard edges with ease and ascend near vertical slopes.  These Bighorns are undaunted by an arduous climb!

We all face challenges in our lives that can resemble steep slopes with terrifying drop-offs. Having the proper "foot gear" can make all the difference in whether we surmount our difficulties and move forward with our lives.  The flip-flops or sandals of playing safe and comfortable are definitely not for consideration in the climb....we need something that is rugged and grips well.  King David offers a solid source of stability for the high places in our lives:

"God arms me with strength,

and He makes my way perfect.

He makes me as surefooted as a deer,

enabling me to stand on mountain heights."

---Psalm 18:32,33

(8' x 8' chalk drawing I did at the Denver Chalk Art Festival - 2010)

Live bravely and beautifully!

Going Places

"Morning Flyover"

(Small watercolor)

This morning on my walk I heard a very welcome sound.  Honking geese were flying high in formation towards the north.  I love this time of the year in which the flyways of the skies are filled with migrating birds heading towards their summer habitats.  

The sense of going places in one's life is uplifting!  An expectancy of what's to be gained keeps one in the chase, overcoming obstacles, and gaining ground.  Joy flows in the current of our lives, no matter the hardships encountered.  Our lives are tracking in forward motion and that encourages growth.  And that is what migration is about...a moving from one place to another.

But what happens when we run aground, get stuck, and sense stagnation in our lives? What factors contribute to lack of motion in our lives?  Perhaps we've taken our eyes off the ball and allowed inactivity to creep into our lives regarding disciplines and goals. We've started to settle for what comes naturally instead of endeavoring to stretch and grow. 

Stagnation comes from lack of action in our lives.  What is needed is to take meaningful action.  Life is already full of dulling "busy-ness". Reflective consideration of where we're at and where we'd like to go helps pull us out of a rut and head us into the race again.  Choose to keep it simple and take small steps.  Evaluate what truly matters and commit to growth. Nourish your soul by rich reading, friendships, and actions that improve the lives of others. Choose to focus on what you care about...what fascinates and motivates you.

Be willing to wrestle with growth steps.  Don't settle for stagnation. Stay in the fight.  It is in the process itself where growth occurs. Purpose to stay in forward motion.  

Stagnate pools can reek of foul odors and don't attract life.  Running streams of water are teeming with life and vitality.  King David opened the magnificent book of Psalms with his metaphor of  the living streams of a river in Psalm 1:  

"Oh, the joys of those who do not

follow the advice of the wicked, 

or stand around with sinners,

or join in with mockers.

But they delight in the law of the LORD,

meditating on it day and night.

They are like trees planted along the 

riverbank,

bearing fruit each season.

Their leaves never wither,

and they prosper in all they do."

King David offers a way out of stagnation here.  Join the migration to a joyous and intentional life.  You'll truly be going places somewhere grand!

Live bravely and beautifully!

From Mundane to Magnificent

"Wind River Canyon, Wyoming"

(Small gouache study)

I recently finished reading a book authored by Chris Orwig titled, The Creative Fight.  In his closing comments, Chris wrote this:

With a creative outlook, the mundane becomes magnificent and the ordinary becomes alive.  Those who adopt such an approach see life not as it is but as it should be, so that even drudgery and difficulty become profound.

The thrust of his book was about creating your best work incorporating all the circumstances that affect your life.  And yes, that includes the difficult and very ordinary dailiness of our lives.  Our best work will come from that blend.  Challenges and struggle give our work an authenticity and character that would be bland otherwise.  In the wrestling with strain and overcoming adversity we make of our lives a work of art.  The key is living creatively in how we approach hardship.  It is in growing through that process that we emerge with something of beauty for the world.  

While working out early one morning recently I also listened to a presentation on YouTube by Evan Carmichael on John Williams' Top Ten Secrets to Success.  You'll find that it's common sense thinking, but it is good to be reminded of what's important.  Here's John Williams' Top Ten:

1.  Start small

2.  Work hard

3.  Challenge yourself

4.  Always strive for better

5.  Find the joy in life

6.  Enjoy every task you do

7.  Inspire others

8.  Practice everyday

9.  Nurture great friendships

10. Create greatness

Are there certain ones that particularly resonate with you?  Numbers 7 and 10 challenge me...inspire others and create greatness.  

Be encouraged to take the mundane in your life and make it something magnificent.  Stay in the creative fight!  It's so worth it!

Live bravely and beautifully!

How To Be A Lucky Duck

"Lucky Ducks"

(small watercolor study)

Gouache

Ever used the expression, "You lucky duck!", to someone who perhaps just got a hole-in-one on the 18th hole in golf or found a five dollar bill while out jogging?  We use expressions like that all the time.  Do you ever wonder why they originated?  That's what I wondered about the phrase, "lucky duck".  Not much is available as to its origin, except that the rhyming qualities of luck and duck are catchy.  The emphasis is more on the luck part and not intimating the duck nature to a human being.

But wait!  Is there really any way a person can increase their chances of luck or experience good turns in life?  Psychologist Richard Wiseman thinks so.  He wrote a book about it called The Luck Factor:  Changing Your Luck, Changing Your Life:  The Four Essential Principles.  In it he espouses that we have much more to do with being in the right place at the right time than we think.  Thus, the four principles of which I'll briefly water ski over the surface:

1.  Relax.  

That sounds pleasant enough.  I think we all could handle more of that in our lives.  Mr. Wiseman goes on to provide evidence for why relaxed people have better luck in more opportunities than uptight folks.  Here he emphasizes how relaxed people are better able to maximize opportunities.

2.  Trust your gut.

Here Mr. Wiseman writes that people who rely more on their intuition are luckier than those who don't.  So listen to your heart!

3.  Expect the best.

On this point, Wiseman found in his research that positive outlooks greatly trumped a negative view in taking chances and looking at the future.  Those with positive outlooks had a self-fulfilling prophecy when it came to achieving good outcomes in their lives.  Negative outlooks can create a vicious downward cycle of not taking risks and playing safe, thus losing out on growth and good opportunities.

4.  Turn that frown upside-down.

This point focuses on the fact that we all have bad experiences in our lives, even the seeming "luckier" ones.  But the key here is how one responds to hard knocks.  Do we get down and succumb to the situation, or do we express gratitude that things aren't worse, learn from it, get up and keep persevering?  Those with "luckier" attitudes believe that things will ultimately turn out best in their favor.  They don't dwell on the negative.  Instead they take action to create better opportunities.  

So, there's nothing "quack" about that advice.  Basically, it is just good common sense about the best way to live life no matter what good or bad comes your way.

One aspect that gives me great confidence about the unknown is found in what King David wrote in Psalm 31: 14,15:

But I am trusting you, O Lord,

saying, 'You are my God!'

My future is in Your hands.

We all have opportunities to make choices that impact our lives.  Beyond that we can trust our lives and the unknown into the sovereign, loving, all-powerful hands of the great Creator God.

Live bravely and beautifully!

The Unattended Moment

(From my nature journal)

"For most of us, there is only the unattended

Moment, the moment in and out of time.

The distraction fit, lost in a shaft of sunlight,

The wild thyme unseen, or the winter lightning

Or the waterfall, or music heard so deeply

That it is not heard at all, but you are the music

While the music lasts.  These are only hints and guesses,

Hints followed by guesses;  and the rest

Is prayer, observance, discipline, thought and action.

The hint half guessed, the gift half understood, is Incarnation."

                                       ---from The Dry Savage   

                    T. S. Eliot

We've all experienced transcendent moments that cause something to well up within us and wish to express or capture the moment...to possess it, if one could.  But alas!  These moments escape us, like air drifting through our fingers.  One way to come close to capturing those moments is to somehow find expression of them in art....whether by painting, writing, poetry, dance, sculpture.  The author Willa Cather describes this to a young artist friend:

"Art is but a mould in which to imprison for a moment the shining and elusive element which is life itself---life hurrying past us and running away, too strong to stop, too sweet to lose."

Beauty engages us, it attracts us, it causes us to want to respond to it.  Beauty is a necessity!  It takes us to the "beyondness" of things to something grander and greater. Beauty takes our breath away.  Beauty takes us to the Maker of beauty....our great Creator God.  King David expressed in Psalm 27 that he had one strong, compelling desire...and that was to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.  All that we see and experience of beauty in this fallen world is but an echo, a whisper of what is to come. Beauty, joy, delight....these are essentials to our human flourishing!  I hope you experience these qualities in many unattended moments in your life.

"To see a world in a grain of sand

And a heaven in a wild flower,

Hold infinity in the palm of your hand

And eternity in an hour."

---Auguries of Innocence

William Blake

Live bravely and beautifully!

Brrrrds!

"A Feathered Friend"

(Small watercolor study)

Many of us are experiencing the icy, snowy grip of winter weather. We hunker down and speed walk from house to car to work, then repeat in reverse order.  We disappear under a pile of clothes and coats, longing for spring.  During this season, I watch the little birds that winter over and marvel at how their tiny little bodies can crank out enough body heat without succumbing to the cold.  It isn't easy for them, but take a look with me at how marvelously they are designed to bear up under adverse circumstances:

1.  Birds are warm-blooded avian creatures with a higher metabolism than mammals, averaging temperatures around 105 degrees Fahrenheit or 40 degrees Celsius.

    

*Their body warms the air space between the feathers providing insulation.  Birds have their own little North Face downy coats.  They fluff their feathers out to provide this extra space, making warm air pockets.

*Many birds grow extra downy feathers during a late fall molt.

2.  Many birds are equipped with a uropygial gland, also known as the preening gland or oil gland.  This is located on the lower back just above the tail base.  A little grease nipple-like nub secretes the oil which they rub with their beak all over their feathers, beak, legs, and feet.  This oil contains monoester or diester waxes which insulate as well as waterproof the feathers.

3.  Birds' legs and feet are covered with specialized scales that minimize heat loss.  They can constrict blood flow to extremities, reducing further heat loss.  Also, they can utilize a process called counter-current exchange where the in-flowing warm blood into the legs and feet exchanges with the cold outer flowing blood.

*  Birds will tuck one foot up under their feathers to warm it while the other grasps what supports it.  They also squat down on both legs under their warm down feathers.  

4.  Birds can move into a torpor state in which metabolism is greatly reduced, sometimes by as much as 50 degrees.  This inactive state requires fewer calories but can put birds at risk to predators.

*  Birds don't sing as much during the colder season because singing is a high-energy calorie burning activity for them.  Hmmmm.....makes me wonder if our fitness centers should now teach singing as a weight loss solution.  

5.  The smaller birds will often roost together in bird lumps at night to share body heat.  

6.  Some birds, like Chickadees, will cache food during the warmer months and have tremendous memories of up to a 1,000 places where they have stored food.  

What are some take-aways for us from how birds cope with hardship?  

1.  Birds have wonderfully been provided for to deal with hardship in their body design.  As Matthew 6:26 refers to God's care for the birds, we can count on our great Creator's care for us in hardship.  He promises to be with us in trouble and to be a refuge for us when the storms of life hit.  If He can design little uropygial glands and downy feathers for birds, what do you think He can do for you?

2.  Birds minimize activity when needing to conserve energy for body heat.  They don't sing as much.  Under times of stress we need to cut back on extra activities and commitments in order to focus on what matters most.  This helps to keep one from burning out.

3.  Birds prepare during times of plenty for the coming barren winter months.  They eat extra for body fat storage and also set aside food in storage.  So, too, we need to be prepared for the emergencies and hard times in life to enable us to survive and even thrive under duress.

4.  Birds utilize community.  By roosting together, they survive long winter nights.  We need community, too.  We do best in life by sharing and being involved with others.  We cannot go it alone and flourish.

Here's a brief documentary about how birds survive the winter season:

Live bravely and beautifully!