Turtle Wisdom

Ginger Rothhaas
Jul 22
2 min read

Contributed by: Ginger Rothhaas, Compassion Fix

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I was sitting outside this weekend and noticed a box turtle near me. I see nature as our best teacher of how to thrive, so I wondered what this little turtle might teach me this day.

As I watched it, I asked for lessons beyond the obvious slowing down and here is what she offered to me:

She trusts herself to know when to move forward and when to go inward.
She knows it is a vulnerable act of bravery to put yourself out there.
She retreats as she needs to for as long as she needs to.
She doesn’t explain herself when she goes inward.
She instinctively protects herself.

Maybe she was offering me a lesson in self-compassion. It seemed as though she wasn’t comparing her progress to anyone else. She was focused on her own journey, her own nourishment, her own adventure - sometimes out in public and sometimes looking inward - but she was on her own timeline.

What do you think she might be teaching you?

Turtles are a bridge to our pre-historic era. As a species they have seen humanity through it all.

Maybe they are still here so that we may learn from the lifetimes they have witnessed.

We just have to slow down long enough to listen.

So much to learn from turtle wisdom.

Ginger Rothhaas, MBA, MDiv. is a seminary trained compassion coach who teaches about compassion at the intersection of neuroscience and spirituality. She is the founder of Compassion Fix Coaching, and she has written a book of mental health practices titled Being Human: 150 Practices to Make it Easier. She lives in Kansas City with her husband, their two teenage children, and two very enthusiastic dogs.

You can find Ginger at:

Websites: gingerrothhaas.com, compassionfix.com

Facebook and Instagram: @gingerrothhaas and @compassionfix

New Book: Being Human