The Benefits of Shrugging

Recently, I watched one of those television nature shows about lions. One scene showed a mid-sized elephant being taken down by 5 or 6 full sized lions. The elephant was clearly overwhelmed, she was wobbling and showing signs of fatigue. "You can see it in her eyes, She has given up" said the announcer as she dropped to her knees. There were slashes all over her back. It's Sad she won't make it I thought-- the cruelty of nature-- the lions must eat I suppose, but still...then out of nowhere the elephant started to rise, she sort of shrugged and 3 lions fell off, she kept on shrugging, and voila she was free, the lions gave up and she escaped. 


What?!   She escaped by shrugging off her attackers! OK they were elephant sized shrugs but still. There was a point when that elephant must have thought she just wanted those lions off her back once and for all. She could have given up as the announcer said, just laid down and let those lions take her out but no, she gave a mighty shrug and she saved herself.


We all have  lions on our backs sometimes don't we?... be it money woes, family issues,  self doubt, depression, anxiety,  they can be hazardous to our health.  Let's all take a lesson from that elephant and shrug those suckers off.  Keep shrugging and carry on. Life will be lighter without carrying all that stuff on our backs. It might give us the ability to heal what needs healing. And if they try to get back on, don't let them!

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