I am in a Land Rover with my husband, three grandsons, and our guide Bennie, a certified scholar and bushman driving on the vast Serengeti plain in the country of Tanzania. Within the first half hour, I became enraptured with Bennie’s history of the animal kingdom and the Serengeti plain. On our third drive, each lasting for hours, which seemed to me like seconds, I looked up at the sky and thanked God for telling Noah to take pairs of animals onboard his ark. I will tell you why.

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Each of us have unique moments of realization and transformation. Unless we are aware of them they can slip by us without a care. But when you are able to record these moments in your mind or on paper, your present thoughts and experiences can be transformed and truly profound. This is what happened to me on the Serengeti. Now I will share with you why.

On my last walk from our accommodation at Singita to the main lodge, I stopped and did a video for you; never knowing my eyes would well up in tears as I spoke of my love of the animals and the Serengeti plain. (I will be sharing the video with you very soon!) Afterwards, I walked alone in silence for about a block on the dirt path up to the lodge and it suddenly hit me why I became emotional.

The animal kingdom taught me a lesson already known to me but not fully understood. This is because I had not lived in the right environment to understand its profound meaning.

Silence

I asked my Ultimate Concierge and grandsons what one word they would choose to incorporate into their lives that they learned from the animals on the Serengeti.

Here are their answers:

Logan Good: Legacy
Scott Good: Reality
David Good: Harmony
Sheldon F. Good: Survival
Susan Honey Good: Silence

I loved the silence of the animals and the natural habitat growing on the Serengeti plain. The animals and nature exemplified to me that silence can be far more golden than I had ever realized. I have forever changed.

I have often said to my Ultimate Concierge that my dream is to walk alone with him and our pooch America on a sandy beach. Either that or sit on our lanai with him or America near the sea and read or write. I now know why.

I have always loved the silence of the day and the silence of the night but did not truly understand how to express my feelings. The animals taught me why. Silence brings everyone peace. The animals and their natural habitat, after two weeks in Africa, have become my professors… without a word.

Animals Are the Best Teachers

The animals taught me it is far more preferable to use other senses. Use your eyes to see like the sharp-eyed eagle. An eagle’s eyesight is eight times better than ours. Use your ears to listen like the elephant who hears miles away. Use your body language to show your feelings like all the animals, and your mouth… keep it closed unless expressing love or danger, like the lioness.

The animals over two weeks on the African plain in Tanzania taught me to savor my moments, heed my instincts, keep focused on what is important to me. I learned to avoid the trivial, take time to rest, let go of unnecessary attachments, and most importantly… don’t get bogged down in words!

I took note that my animal professor friends communicated their feelings in their different styles of body language and saved their sounds when expressing deep emotions, love, and fear.

“Silence offers you the opportunity to reflect and even daydream.” — Honey Good

In our Land Rover, we watched a lion and lioness making love on the Serengeti. (Another video I will share!) We watched a huge mama water buffalo and her newborn attacked by three huge hyenas, only to be driven off by big bulls who galloped back to come to her rescue. Sounds of love and fear clearly rang out on the Serengeti!

At Peace With My Thoughts

Because of so many unexpected happenings, I found myself, for three days of my life, in a place where I felt total peace of mind. My time on the plain allowed me to look inward and examine certain personal feelings I had kept locked inside. My burden on how to face them finally saw a straighter and clearer pathway.

I was alone with my thoughts on the plain of the Serengeti in the silence of the day and oh my oh my… what a glorious and peaceful feeling it is. Because, unlike our jungle friends, we get bogged down in words instead of thoughts.

I decided I want to be a cross between the elephant and the lioness. They, too, have burdens where they have no other choice but to put on their big girl pants and, as my darling Ultimate Concierge says, “fight the battle” of what has been thrown their way.

But unlike us humans, they don’t get bogged down in words. Our animal friends have other means of communicating with one another. This was my favorite ah-ha moment on the Serengeti plane. Their posture, their movements, and their scents released by their skin communicate their thoughts. Our posture, the twinkle in our eye, our smile relate are thoughts Our words often misconvey.

Learning to Live in the Present Moment

I hope, like the lesson my animal professor friends gave me, I have given you room to reflect on the word, silence. I truly know your life, like mine, will have more of a personal and profound flow because silence offers you the opportunity to reflect and even daydream. It allows you to live in the present moment because you are turning down your inner noise of the past and the future and of people who do not bring you calm.

You see my sweet friends, I have physically felt that silence helps you concentrate, create, become aware, and calm you. Silence allows you to learn, and I have found gives me more patience because I am above the roar of the crowd. Just thinking of the roaring crowd alarms me.

Thank you, Animal Kingdom on the Serengeti that I will rid myself of the nonsense of the day and instead turn on the silence. Amen.

Tune in for more of my adventures with my Ultimate Concierge and our grandsons as we head for Rwanda and the silverback gorillas.

Ask me questions. If I can give you sound advice, it will always be my pleasure. I am smiling!

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