Unleash your inner tiger: Speak softly and carry a big stick

Ever since I saw the Lion King when it first came out in 1992, I have always loved big (and little) cats. But out of them all, my favorite big cats are tigers: they’re furry balls of magnificent, no-nonsense, and cuteness all rolled into one. They successfully walk a delicate balance of being strikingly beautiful and dangerous when need be.

Okay so technically, all wild animals fill that role – but just let a girl obsess over some tigers for now, yea?

WWTD: What Would a Tiger Do?

I often think to myself, what if I lived my life like a tiger – what would be different? How would I approach my life?

Before we can answer that, we need to understand the nature of the tiger. First of all tigers are solitary animals and territorial, at that. Because they’re mostly on their own they’ve got to be leaders and take charge, or else they’ll die. They’ve got to be aware of their surroundings, pick their battles, fight for what’s theirs, and quickly move on when the stakes are too high.

Secondly, tigers are highly adaptable. They can flourish in different kinds of habitats from chilly Siberian forests to open grasslands and muddy swamps. Wherever the food is, that’s where they’ll go. Point blank. It’s too watery? ‘Tis but a sprinkle (warning: Monty Python reference – sort of). Suck it up and learn how to swim. Too hot? You better ask somebody. Learn to conserve your energy and work around the heat.

You want to live? Get your hustle on and don’t stop ‘til you get enough.

And when it comes to actually getting the food? Ultimate stealth mode. Tigers usually feed on animals larger than themselves, but will settle for smaller animals also. They understand their limitations and work with it. They may be smaller than some of their prey and they don’t have enough stamina to run fast for long periods of time. But they can leap high and they know how to get ‘em where it hurts: right on the jugular. At night. When you can’t see them.

After all, it isn’t the size of the dog (or rather, cat?) in the fight, it’s the fight in the dog.

Teddy the Tiger

I think the perfect example of someone who implemented WWTD in their lives is Theodore Roosevelt. His motto was to “speak softly and carry a big stick.” This was his policy towards keeping the Europeans out of American affairs at the turn of the 20^th century. He believed in keeping the communication lines open and not being unnecessarily aggressive, but still recognizing his boundaries and tactfully breaking lose if anyone tested him.

Tigers operate the same way: you don’t bother them and they usually won’t bother you.

And much like tigers, Theodore was cunning and opportunistic. Reading his biography, you can tell things just didn’t happen to him by accident. He put himself out there and made things happen for himself. He has been all over the place and adapted himself when he needed to.

But despite his tough exterior, I sense a wise yet curious side to him. Adaptability and curiosity definitely go hand in hand. Theodore had many interests, was active in several sports, and was well-read – reading tens of thousands of books in his lifetime.

Being more like a tiger

As obvious as it is by now, I definitely think tigers are the ultimate role models from the animal kingdom and I strive to be more like them in my actions. I’m certainly not there yet, but isn’t life always a work in progress?

And so, without further ado .. I present the Rules of the Tiger

1. Be adaptable and discerning at the same time. Sometimes you just have to work with what you got because that’s how you’ll get fed. At the same time, be a leader and have some level of standards because at the end of the day you’ve got to answer to yourself. Don’t settle for any old thing or what someone else thinks you should do.
2. Be magnetic and agreeable – until someone messes with you. There’s no need to pick fights for no reason and to constantly be loud and outspoken. We’re all on the same tree trying to get a nut. For the most part you will have to agree to disagree with most people. But once others start undermining you and disrespecting your boundaries, you better stand up for yourself or you’ll fall for anything.
3. Pick your battles wisely. It’s one thing to not give up on a dream or goal. But winners also know when to cut their losses and quit. They know not to dwell on sunk cost – something they can’t get back – and get themselves out of situations that only pull them down further. If there’s no more food in the area, the tiger won’t stick around defending barren land!
4. Recognize your limitations but emphasize your strengths. There’s no point in completely ignoring your limitations – you’ll end up hurting yourself. Instead of worrying about that, focus on your positives and use that to your advantage. Limitations are there for a reason: to make it easier to find out does work.

Readers: What animals do you admire and what lessons do you take away from them? Do they work? Share in the comments!

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Tagged as: inner strength, limitations, personal growth