What will I be given today?
I really like this question, which I heard a couple of weeks ago from the photographer who led my photo safari to Tanzania. (Thanks, Russ).
He remarked that people often ask him what kind of animals they will photograph that day. His response -- What will we be given today? -- is perfect for situations over which we have no control. We cannot determine which animals will be in the area and which will be visible. We don't know what the light will be like until we see it. And it could change very suddenly.
So this question -- What will we be given today? -- is an appropriate one. It tells us that we should accept whatever we are given that day. This doesn't mean that we cannot fervently wish to see a leopard, for instance, or a herd of elephants. One day in the safari vehicle, my travel companions and I put our wishes to see certain species of wildlife 'out there' to the universe. I really wanted to see at least one elephant, and we did see elephants that day, several times. We saw elephants in interesting situations. One person wanted to see an elephant spraying itself with water, and we did. For that day, at least, everything we wanted to see was given to us. I'm not suggesting that our requests were fulfilled simply because we wished it so, but putting one's intentions to the universe seemed to work that day.
I have given a fair amount of thought to the question since I first heard it while in Tanzania. I now view the larger interpretation of this six-word question as an invitation to open ourselves to a myriad of possibilities. This question can be applied to many situations, not just to wildlife sightings and good photographic opportunities. It is up to us to accept and appreciate whatever we are given. Being open and flexible to a variety of possibilities can be a challenge. It also can be very rewarding.
This doesn't mean that we will never be given bad or inconvenient things. It doesn't mean that we will like or enjoy everything we are given. We may be given bad news. We may be hurt by someone we care about. We may not see that hoped-for leopard in a tree.
Or we may be given an opportunity we never expected. For example, one morning we set out on our morning game drive in a dense fog. My heart sank. But then we found ourselves in a thin layer of fog and soon began to get excited about the photographic possibilities. Then we stopped at the sight of a male Grant's gazelle near an amazing tree. Camera shutters clicked away. The brown of the gazelle popped against the gray background. We were disappointed when the sun burned away the fog far too soon. And we started wishing for a foggy morning the next day.
This question has reminded me to be open to whatever opportunity presents itself. To return to the African photo safari example: Some days, particularly in the afternoon, things were boringly quiet. Even the birds seemed to have gone into hiding. On those days, we were offered the gift of patience. Some mornings were quiet as well, and then suddenly a pride of lions was spotted, or a leopard cub and its sibling, or perhaps an elephant feeding near the road. We never knew what we would be given. Just as in life, some days we were given something totally unexpected or wonderful. And some days, we were given disappointment.
What I take from this question is a reminder to be open to whatever life gives us, whether it is something good or something bad. Sometimes we have no choice; bad things happen to everyone.
We alone determine how we will deal with what we are given each day. Each of us decides how we respond to what life gives us each day.
What will you be given today? And how will you respond?
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