A Five-Inch Willow Down In Three Minutes

Attack your projects like a beaver.

Yes, a beaver can gnaw down a tree in three minutes.

Perhaps you aren’t interested in gnawing down trees, but I bet that you have projects, ideas, and circumstances that appear bigger than a five-inch willow.

And perhaps your resources don’t feel any bigger than a beaver’s teeth.

Yet, with just teeth and a tail, beavers change landscapes.

Because of beavers, we have lakes, ponds, and meadows. They build lodges that protect and feed their family and provide passage across lakes for others.

• They do this by being a beaver, not by trying to be a wolf or a duck.

• They don’t spend time wishing they had more tools or help.

Beavers skillfully use what is present in their environment. They not only tackle those little willows but also immense trees, downing them and then cutting them into a size that they can drag into place.

Human engineers marvel at the beaver’s wisdom in placing their damns in the perfect place to support the environment, providing for themselves and their families while also positively affecting many future generations.

Sure, we are not beavers, but we could use some of their wisdom.

Imagine yourself facing a forest and a small stream, knowing your task is to build a home from what you see. Isn’t this the same as facing a situation in life (either chosen or a result of circumstances) that appears too daunting to tackle?

Think Like A Beaver

>What is present now in your environment (life) that can provide for you? What tools (skills) do you already possess that can immediately be put to use?

>Like a beaver, set to work at the task as yourself, not someone you wish you were.

>Like a beaver, get help.

A beaver knows his strengths, and one of those strengths is the interfamily and community connections it has. You have them, too. Reach out to those who can and will help.

Beavers don’t waste time wishing, complaining, or hanging out with unwilling beavers (if there was such a thing).

Be like a beaver, and don’t be distracted by what others do or say. If you can learn how to become more skilled at what you do from them, that is fabulous. Otherwise, stick with what works for you.

Be like a beaver by remaining consistent and persistent. Faced with what appears too big a task, we allow negative ideas and thoughts to stop our progress. Instead, get busy. Not busy as in a human busy running around doing things, but busy like a beaver.

Enjoy Your Work

Get busy being yourself. Be like a beaver and enjoy the task. Whatever is in front of you, find joy in accomplishing it.

Perhaps beavers do all this by instinct. Perhaps they don’t think about the Divine’s provision for them or their place in the universe.

We can. We can remind ourselves of God’s provision for every detail of life.

We can contemplate and hold close to our hearts the awareness of Love’s presence in everything we see.

Wouldn’t this ability be one of our greatest tools?

No one is without this tool. With this knowledge, we can step into any forest and know that right there is exactly what we need for support, supply, and home.

With this tool, whatever we do will provide for ourselves and others, now and for many future generations.

With this tool, everything we do will be a thing of beauty and joy.

So salute the beaver, step into your own skills, and start gnawing!