FIND YOUR PRIDE
What did you have for dinner last night? Whatever it was, I’m pretty sure you didn’t have to use the same pot you cooked it in to shower from this morning. At least, I hope! But Dave Salmoni did just that for a straight six months while he lived amongst a rogue pride of lions in the Namibian private game reserve of Erindi. How’s that for dedication?
Lions have always been my absolute favorite in the animal kingdom and their survival was at the heart of Dave’s journey, one of the reasons I admire him. In 2008, he literally risked life and limb to help conserve one of Africa’s most important animals. But even more than that, I admire his passion. I reflect on his willingness to face solitude, failure and even death for his mission because of its vast meaning and importance to him. He must tame this dangerous pride, known for cattle raiding and aggression towards humans, or they will be eliminated.
If one man’s passion can single-handedly save a pride of lions, how might the pursuit of your own passion affect the world you live in? Dave got up every day and used his burning drive to convince himself to hop on his quad-bike, motor right into the heart of a pride of lions that hated him, and face being charged at again and again and again – all in order to get closer to his goal. When it was time to get up and go each morning, he got up – with enthusiasm. He didn’t roll over in his sleeping bag and say, “you know, I’m not really in the mood to face getting eaten by lions again today, I think I’ll take the day off”. Nope. He got up and he faced those lions head on day after day, as many times as was necessary, to accomplish what he had set out to do.
It made me think about the lions in my own life. The ones I have to challenge and square off with in order to reach my goals, no matter how daunting they are. But if Dave can manage the real fear of being chased by an actual lion, I can certainly manage the fears I have in taking on my proverbial lions. A success mentor of mine always says, “fear and faith both require you to believe in something you cannot see - which one will you choose?” Of course, doubts creep in, sometimes on a daily basis. Dave thought about quitting after the first night. Coming from Toronto city life, living solo in the African bush was a major adjustment. Factor in the world’s most dangerous animals roaming his campground each night. It’s enough to make anyone consider packing it in. But yet, he pressed on. This is the measure of perspective I like to use when I find myself losing steam or when I feel like giving up. Even though I don’t have to be worried about getting eaten alive (most of the time), there are those occasions where it has certainly felt like I’m being charged at by something big and scary that could hurt me. I bet you’ve felt the same.
The subject of this blog series has been all about perspective. And Dave’s story certainly lends plenty of it to our own personal trials. Suddenly, my bad days look a lot easier and my challenges more surmountable when held in comparison to something like Dave’s mission. Passion, drive and pushing through any obstacles are what it’s all about. It’s where we learn and grow, it’s where we find success. Our goals and dreams may not center around lion prides, but we’ve got prides of our own. We just need to find them. And thankfully for us, we can leave our pots at home.