Chipmunks Are Goal Setting
Class can you find the “ground
squirrels” in the picture above?
Look carefully there are (4)
of these cute little critters!
They are rodents too but are gray & white in color. All four
stood still long enough for me to snap this photo in Laguna Beach California. I
have included a picture of a “chipmunk”
above so you can see the difference between these two animals.
What is a chipmunk? “Tell
me please I want to know about these small, friendly, playful rodents that I see
so often running past me with effortless speed.”
I was up at Mt. Rainier in Washington State and happened across a bunch
of these little critters recently. Because
I came across them recently up on the mountain and elsewhere here in Washington,
I decided I better share some of their secrets with you too.
I like sharing things I’ve learned with you and I hope you are sharing
what you learn with others as well. Every day can be a new learning experience
as learning is so much fun. My little chipmunks are full of information on goal setting
as they are always storing their berries, nuts, grains and insects in their
pouches and burrows for winter. They
plan ahead as their goal is to have enough food stored to get them through
winter. “A person with goals is a
person who has something positive to focus on even when things aren’t going
your way and times are tough.” “Goals
help you dream and stay positive.” “Goals
are dreams with a time limit.” “Don’t
be afraid to dream about your future and set your goals.”
Chipmunks are a small rodent native to North America, Europe and Asia.
They have reddish-brown fur with black and white stripes on their faces,
furry tails and backs. They have loud bird-like chirps. They have cheek pouches
to carry their food in. They live
in burrows, where they store their food. The
females can produce about three to five babies.
They have been known to defend their territory, and themselves from
predators sometimes larger than themselves.
They can survive harsh winters in their burrows and are prepared ahead of
time for that if necessary. Sometimes
food might be scarce but these little critters never give up looking.
“Be an optimist and look for the silver lining in any cloud.”
“Set your goals, write them down where you can see them, work towards
them, although there might be minor setbacks don’t get discouraged.” “Keep focused on the positive and don’t give up.”
“Goals can be reached if you want them bad enough and see yourself
reaching them.” “Here is where visualization comes into play.”
“If you see yourself attaining your goals, you will eventually reach
them.” “Persistence pays off
over time, despite obstacles.” Body
expressions say a lot about a person too. Look
at your body expressions. Are there
frowns on your face, fear, slumping shoulders, are you moping around with your
head down? Walk like a confident,
positive person, keep your chin up and smile-smile-smile!
Do you shake someone’s hand when you meet and greet him or her and
offer a smile? I hope my
playful, friendly little “ground squirrels” above have taught you a little
bit about the importance of goal setting. Did
you find all (4) of them in the picture? Can you tell the difference between the
ground squirrels and the chipmunk? You
have already accomplished your first goal.
See how easy that was. It
took a little work, close observation and persistence but you really wanted to
find them and you did. If you are
still looking, don’t give up or ask for some help if you need it. I’m sure
someone would love to help you accomplish your goal.
Copyright 2001 By
Author Patti Tricoli
