Copy of Turtle ?? or Tiger ???

"Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself."- George Bernard Shaw

Can a turtle become tiger-ish? Or a tiger become turtle-ish???????

I've always been drawn to turtIes, like the turtles in the lake next to Mozart's, or those at the turtle pond in the shadows of the University of Texas Tower.

Or maybe my affection for them started when I was growing up in Maryland and a fan of the University of Maryland Terrapins. (Please don't tell Bevo??)

We also have Rocky in our backyard, named after my Mom's storied childhood pet turtle Ricky.

Turtles have character traits that speak to me:

• ??Turtles are courageous, stay true to their path, and have longevity & wisdom. I think some of that might synch with who I am sometimes, or at least who I strive to be, with many failures along the way.

Let's compare these traits with others:

• ??Tigers symbolize protection, vitality, strength and unpredictability. I hope I have the capacity to tap into some of these characteristics, but they probably don't represent my core tendencies as much as a turtle.
• ??Monkeys have the ability to use intellect and ingenuity. I would love to think some of that applies, but still doesn't seem as spot-on as my friendly Turtle.

My Point? ??

You don't have to embrace spirit animals to appreciate the value of introspection into your set points -- by doing so, you can identify OTHER characteristics that you want to nurture outside your natural comfort zone.

But is that even possible? Can you stretch your base nature into unexplored territories? ????

My personal experience says YES.

Often times, when I was tasked with something that was outside my comfort zone, like take or defend a contentious deposition, or deal with a belligerent client, my imposter syndrome and instinct to find cover would kick in full throttle.

But the work must be done.

So, I would just tell myself to "act like you are a tough litigator," or "act like you are strong in the face of hostility." I wold "pretend" to play the role, and usually pull it off with no one knowing the reality of my inner lack of confidence or comfort.

Over time, this "acting" turned into learned character traits, which I could draw on time and time again in similar situations. For you gamers, this is the equivalent of the DLC (downloadable content) that you later add on to your base game! ??

Is this a realistic thing? Can we meaningfully morph?

Let's turn to our trusted friend, science:

SCIENCE! ??

Science says...YES!

Adam Grant, the accomplished organizational psychologist and author of the #1 NY Times Bestseller Think Again, writes in his latest book Hidden Potential- The Science of Achieving Greater Things:

"Personality is not your destiny -- it's your tendency. Character skills enable you to transcend that tendency to be true to your principles. It's not about the traits that you have, but what you decide to do with them."

How many people, famous or otherwise, do you know that achieved outside of their assumed abilities?

• Albert Einstein was thought to be lazy because he was so easily distracted.
• Walt Disney was fired from his first job because he didn't have enough...imagination and creativity!

How many times have YOU done things that YOU didn't think YOU had the traits to do?!

As for Turtles, seemingly basic creatures, they are known to be intelligent with cognitive abilities, and are able to problem solve and adapt to their environment.

The Big Finish ??

Even if you are happily a methodical quiet creature that prefers to stay submerged and in your shell, you can LEARN how to evolve and grow.

Turtles are said to be anti-social, but the friendly turtles lakeside at Mozarts seem to have decided to behave otherwise.