Penguins are cool!
In Oamaru, New Zealand, I saw the blue penguin.

Each night, the blue penguins swim to shore and live in burrows in the ground. These are the smallest penguins on earth at 9.8 inches (25cm) tall and weighing approximately 2.5 lbs. (a little over 1 kg). They have beautiful slate-blue plumage with a bright white belly.

Although these animals are such small creatures, they have a presence larger than life. They usually arrive on the beach in groups. They wait until the whole group is on land, then they proceed up the hill to their underground dwellings further inland where they start to quack and get social.

It is incredible to me that these tiny creatures are able to survive long journeys in the ocean with predators swimming literally amongst them. At sea, their lives are threatened by sharks, sea lions and leopard seals, not to mention the natural challenges of the ocean.

I feel like they survive for three key reasons: camouflage, community and consistency. They are camouflaged from both above and below having white bellies and blue backs so they are hidden from their predators. Their sense of community is very strong, they stick together as a group in the water and on land. For the most part they have life long partners; there is only a 6% “divorce” rate each year. Finally they have a consistent routine - each night they follow the same path and come ashore to the same underground burrows they call home.

TAKE ACTION! TIP:
We can certainly learn some survival and self care techniques from these penguins. Build appropriate “camouflage” (or boundaries) from “predators” or those that can harm us. Have a support system (whether one person or multiple people) that you can rely upon to prevent (and during) times of stress. Develop consistency in your life – consistency does not mean structure, it means a sense of reliability and authenticity.

Hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend!
See you next week!

Make Happiness Yours,
Susan
email: info@susankimcoaching.com