The Frog Blog – How nature can teach us to stop resisting the flow of life

September 4, 2020

I was driving the other night and seemingly out of nowhere, a tree frog jumped on my windshield as I was going about 30 mph heading towards my home. I thought to myself, this poor frog was probably jumping to get across the street in search of something to eat or go for a swim, mate, hang with a froggy friend, or do whatever frogs do, and then maybe return home, only to be unexpectedly whisked away – I’m not really sure if frogs even have a home, but that’s what went through my mind.

Well, this frog was in for the ride of its life, ending up a mile away from where it began. I don’t know much about the behavior of frogs, but I’m quite certain it’s not going to return to where it came from and that it will find a way to adapt to its new surroundings. I have plenty of trees that will make a wonderful home.

This made me think about ants and other small insects. If I see one walking and I put my foot down, it turns left or right or in the opposite direction to get away from my foot. It totally changes direction because it is forced to. It doesn’t resist or fight and try to eat through my shoes or anything like that. It might climb over, but usually they just change their course, not bothered by it at all.

Just like the frog that now has to make a new home in new surroundings, almost every animal can get transplanted to a new place and adjust in a healthy way to new things. Not all of them course, but most creatures in nature are incredibly adaptive. The least among them are probably human beings. We are masters at resisting change!

There are certainly people in the world that can travel around at a moments notice (wherever the wind takes them, as the saying goes), take things as they come, and live gracefully with whatever the day presents, but most of us are so rigid in our routine and our schedule that we do not know how to go with the flow. This sets us up for potentially intense stress when adversity comes knocking, or even just a change in plans that throw our day off course. A few minutes late because of traffic, for example, can feel like the end of the world for some people. I know this is an exaggeration, but many of us struggle with such things.

Nature can teach us so much about letting go and allowing life to simply flow the way that it’s going to flow no matter how much we try and steer the ship. If we can begin practicing how to do this more often, it can really put our mind and body at ease where we may actually begin to feel better and see things from a better perspective, and maybe even heal from some of the suffering and pain many of us live with. Having lived with chronic pain from dystonia for 20 years, as well as anxiety and depression at different times in those 20 years, I have found immense relief when I can let go of my white knuckle grip on life. It can be a bit tricky at times because my health does require scheduling and routine, but too much of each can be to my detriment.

This is what my green, sticky four-legged little jumping friend inspired me to write about, and once again, I am reminded how nature is one of our greatest teachers in life if we learn to pay close attention.

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Tom Seaman is a Certified Professional Life Coach in the area of health and wellness, and the author of 2 books: Diagnosis Dystonia: Navigating the Journey (2015and Beyond Pain and Suffering: Adapting to Adversity and Life Challenges (2021). He is also a motivational speaker, chronic pain and dystonia awareness advocate, health blogger, volunteer for the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation (DMRF) as a support group leader, and is a member and writer for Chronic Illness Bloggers NetworkThe MightyPatient Worthy, and The Wellness Universe. To learn more about Tom, get a copy of his books (also on Amazon), or schedule a free life coaching consult, visit www.tomseamancoaching.com. Follow him on Twitter @Dystoniabook1 and Instagram.

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10 responses to “The Frog Blog – How nature can teach us to stop resisting the flow of life”

  1. Yeara says:

    it’s a great post and story, but it seems so far away for me… I have been diagnosed with oromandibular dystonia two weeks ago, by prop’ movement disorder specialist, at age of 36, after 9 months of awful pain and suffering (couldn’t eat or speak for a while), after many specialists of many kinds, while I saw everything I had, loved and worked for fall apart. She was sure. Yesterday I went to have a second opinion, of another prop, movement disorder specialist, from another hospital. They both are great docs. He said it is not dystonia. He couldn’t tell what it was.
    I really don’t understand how can I live with this tightness and muscle movements and pain. I was healthy before. I don’t understand how can I roll on my back and look at the stars, while I’m in pain…
    sorry about my English, it is my second language.

    • Tom Seaman says:

      Thank you about the story. I am very sorry about your recent OMD diagnosis. I understand what you mean when you think of how healthy you were before and now this… I was the same way. Hopefully with some treatments that are helpful, this can only be a minor issue so you can enjoy your life to the fullest. Please know that it is possible and please never lose hope that you can be well again!

  2. Melodee says:

    What a wonderful way of looking at such a small situation . Love it!

  3. Robert Joyce says:

    A great observation Tom, and it is true. Most creatures are adaptable to changing situations. We can learn this too, and it makes life so much simpler.

  4. Barbara Elmlinger says:

    Let’s hear it for frogs, squirrels, (my husband traps them and takes them to a new home away from his garden) ants, and humans! May we learn to adapt to our new lives, when necessary, as they do.

    • Tom Seaman says:

      That’s great of you and your husband to do that! We have infiltrated so much of their natural habitat that it’s nice to know that there are people like you who go the extra mile to help them out.

  5. Jennifer Bonsell says:

    I love the message about nature and life in this! Great writing!

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