5 LESSONS YOU LEARN OUTSIDE THE HUMAN WORLD

Has it ever amazed you how other creatures structure their life in some more orderly manner with no other force than the force of nature? Does it ever appeal to you how events repeat themselves day after day, month after month and year after year, so much that we humans become accustom to those events that we are able to predict, though not always accurately, what would happen at some given time? If you had watched more closely, you would have realized that we crafted certain events into immutable laws by our inductive reasoning. We are able to state what weather is and how it revolves in some societies differently from the others. We are able to state what time of the year is winter, what time of the year is summer. And in the tropical zones, we are able to determine what time of the year is the planting season and what time is the harvest season. No, I do not mean by technology! I mean by mere observation!

We can look more closely to draw what we can learn from this orderly structure from the other creatures sharing in our ecosystem.

1. Consistency: What is it about consistency? To be consistent means to do something regularly in such a marked uniformity as to time and degree. Do you wonder how we are able to predict the time of sunrise and sunset in any region of the world? Those in that region already have a notice of when to expect sunrise and when the sun will set in their everyday life. And it remains so for a very long time.

And what do we learn from consistency? You will earn people’s trust just as nature has. People who have dealt with you in the past will be able to say they know some things for certainty about you. You will be predictable and dependable. And that is pretty good for your reputation. Suppose I write in my story that in the middle of the night I was able to see a hole with the help of sunshine. My readers will believe the sun, even without its defence, more than they believe my story as the sun does not have the habit of shining in the middle of the night.

2. Time Management: Another beautiful lesson we learn from our interaction with nature is how to manage our time effectively. Does it not bother you that sun and moon do not argue with each other? Each runs its course. Now, in my story above, suppose I substituted the moon for the sun, it might be appealing. But if I had gone further to say that the moon was scorching, my story would have been unbelievable.

Now, how does this teach time management? I know, like you do, that sun runs its course in the day while moon runs its course at night. I therefore do not expect solar energy at night. Except I have a way I conserve it after having tapped it in the day. But what do I conserve at night if I choose not to tap anything in the day?

3. Kindness: How kind and gentle nature is! Nature does not discriminate and it bestows equal benefit to friends and foes alike. It is just for anyone who can use it to his good and happiness. Sun shines over all manner of people and creatures. Okay, we know green plants need it to manufacture their food. Humans need it for their solar energy. It spreads its benefits across all shades of creatures.

How do we learn from this? We learn having a large heart and accommodating attitude. This in turn makes us more likable and expands our network. Imagine if the sun were to be on Facebook and it would shine only on those who are its friends. Then millions of occupiers of the earth who are not privileged to be on Facebook will be denied the grace of sunshine. And imagine, we have to pay any company for sunshine or rainfall, then the poor residents of rural areas who are farmers would long have been starved to their graves.

4. Discipline: Okay, just this one too! It teaches you discipline. “I am the sun. My rule is that I come out by the day and retire at night.” No sentiments. No exceptions. Once you miss the time it runs its course, you miss it for that day and you will have to wait for the next day. No special consideration for any reason. Time to rise and time to set. It serves not just the human community but the entire universe. So, it would not outstay its course just for any human or any other powerful creature. The same with moon. You would not expect to gather your children for moonlight tales at noon!

5. Understanding and Cooperation: The duo of the sun and the moon teach the human community how to share the same space with cooperation and understanding. The sun has the entire day to itself to run its course. The moon has the entire night to itself to run its course. The sun would not justify its incursion into the night merely because it was prevented by a cloudy day to run its course. The moon, on the other hand, would not show up in the day, just because it was a rainy night. Now, there is no mediator between the two: and that is, more importantly because, they are not trying to outsmart each other.

I heard your objection: “but we have eclipse of the sun?”. You are correct, but we have eclipse of the moon too. And they are not interference by one in the course of the other. No! there are many materials to read on eclipses and I am not prepared to recommend any. But even with eclipses, which are very rare anyways, there is much cooperation and understanding between the sun and the moon. We can never achieve all our dreams all alone. We need to accommodate the others and in our accommodating them, we should endeavor to understand and cooperate with them.