You might be wondering why I have a penguin on my website, or what a penguin has to do with talking to animals?
Well, it all started in 2014, when quite out of the blue, I started seeing penguins everywhere. On the side of bridges, in newspapers, on clothes, in books, in trains, on social media, everywhere. It started out quite funny, but then became quite eerie.
I chatted with a friend of mine, who asked me a few questions about what penguins actually meant to me, what I thought of when I looked at a penguin. I stated that I thought they looked like little mini-butlers.
“And what do butlers do?” she asked.
“They serve people.” I answered without skipping a beat.
“Exactly!” she exclaimed.
Well, it didn’t really make sense to me until 2019 when I eventually decided to combine my skills, certifications and interests into this very business, and the conversation with my friend came back to me…
“Serving people” is what I said, and indeed, serving and helping people, and animals too, is exactly what I wanted to do.
And anyway, when you think about a penguin, you’ll see he’s really a remarkable creature. He has feathers, but he can’t fly. He swims effortlessly in the water, but he isn’t a fish.
But do you ever see him complaining, do you ever see him feeling inferior, or anxious, or beating himself up and feeling guilty because he can’t fly, or because he isn’t a fish?
No, because he’s a penguin! And he’s glad he’s a penguin. He’s accepted himself, and he loves himself. He’s been able to adapt to his environment. He’s a perfect example of being authentic; of being proud of what he truly is.
So, I always take a moment to honour that little penguin’s lesson. If there was one animal that was able to teach me to be authentic, to love myself, despite being seemingly different, or not normal, it’s a penguin.