Make Your Own Rules #15 "Watch a Nature Documentary and Find Bliss

I’m totally into nature documentaries right now. I’m not exactly a nature guy either. Sure I used to hunt, never really fished and I like the outdoors. However, I’m not a nature guy per se. However, my wife has a great affinity for bears. Wherever we go-Colorado, Alabama, Manhattan, you name it Jemilynn is on the hunt for bears.

Recently becoming empty nesters with our youngest headed off to CU-Boulder (Skobuffs) we have found ourselves with a lot of time on our hands at night. Neither of us watch network TV so to fill the void one night I decided to find Jemilynn some bears on the Netflix. I’m from East Texas so we place a “the” in front of most businesses and sometimes an “s” for good measure. Example: The Walmarts, The Internets and The Netflix.

In my search I discovered the BBC Wild Alaska series. The three part series takes the viewer through the seasons Summer, Spring and Winter. I’m 44 years old, and I’ve learned of new animals I had never heard of. Did you know there’s an Arctic Squirrel that sleeps for 8 months out of the year? This blew me away. This little guy’s heart rate gets so low he almost reaches comatose when Bam! His little body starts to shiver from the cold to wake him up just enough to heat his body and keep him alive. I can’t wait to work my knowledge of the sleeping habits of the Arctic Ground Squirrel into a dinner conversation. “Your little dog named Waylon Jennings is lazy? Well, let me tell you about the Arctic Ground Squirrel my friend.” Yup, I’ll be a hit!

The scenery is breathtaking. I can’t help but watch these shows filmed in locations I may never roam and to date never have and not be in wonder of the beauty. It’s an amazing mental escape right in my own home. I watch as these animals survive the natural cycles of their ecosystem and think to myself, “They have no idea what the stock market did today. They could care less who will be elected president. What are the latest trends in fashion? Meh, their fur is in season whatever season they are in.”

I highly encourage you to checkout and watch one of these shows. It’s such a great reminder that while here in the first world we are up in arms over so many things, there is a much more peaceful world out there on the same ball of mud on which we all reside. Take time to checkout of the chaos of everyday life and learn from these majestic creatures what simplicity can look like. I’d also advise putting down the iPhone and staying of the Facebooks or the Instagrams, but I’m guilty of videoing our pup, Cotton, who particularly likes watching the birds on these shows.

You rule!

Jason

Jason Wright is the host of the Texas Titans Podcast. He is also the Founder and CEO of Texas Titans Media, LLC. Jason is the author of “Push Play: Taking Your Life Off Pause.” He is also a keynote speaker and business consultant. He and his wife Jemilynn live in Tyler, TX. To learn more about Jason please visit JASONWRIGHTNOW.COM