The Wisdom of a Sloth

I was reading a blog post from Athena Banded Warrior (Blustery Sunday), and it got me thinking about sloths.  The animals, that is.  I think sloths get a bad rap.  Sometimes we use the word "sloth" to mean "lazy" or "slovenly."  "Lazy" means disinclined to activity, while "slovenly" means untidy or slipshod.  And yes, we use the word "sloth" for apathy and inactivity.

However, I don't think it's all bad to be like a sloth (the animal).  In my opinion, here is some of the wisdom of sloths:

1. Sloths are in fact slow-moving.  They are apparently one of the slowest-moving animals in the world. They remind me of snails!  Sometimes we race ahead of ourselves.  Sloths remind us that the best way can be slow and deliberate. 
2. Sloths live in a beautiful environment. They are found only in the rainforests of South and Central America.  I would love to visit there--barring that, I could do more to make my own space a beautiful environment.
3. Sloths hang from trees.  Now, I don't want to sleep hanging from a tree for 18 hours at a time like a sloth can, but I remember climbing trees as a kid, and sitting under trees.  I want to take more time to appreciate the wisdom of trees.
4. Sloths are for the most part vegetarian--they eat leaves, twigs, and fruit.  They eat very slowly.  I am vegetarian (by choice), but need to work on eating more slowly.  Eating like a sloth.
5. Sloths, despite living in trees, are surprisingly good swimmers.  Wouldn't have thought that was a good combo, but I shouldn't judge a book by its cover (or a sloth by its body shape).  When do I make assumptions about someone because of their body shape?  When do others do the same to me?

I'm sure that is more than you wanted to hear about sloths (although I didn't tell you the female sloths give birth to their babies hanging upside down!), but I think I'm going to keep a picture of a sloth around for a while.  I hope it reminds me to slow down, consider my options, and live more planfully in 2013.