Hunter, Scavenger, or Prey: Which life are you living?
By Ralph Jean-Paul
Most people wonder endlessly about why their lives are the way they
are. Being stuck in a job that they hate, staying in an unhealthy
relationship, or never really achieving their purpose in life. These
may be the results of living a life that lacks courage, individuality,
and an unwillingness to aggressively pursue a better life. Instead of
having the courage to face their adversities, question the direction
their lives are headed in, and actively seek true success, they opt to
wander the earth with no real ambition and a lack of purpose which
leads them to be a victim of their own actions.
In the animal kingdom
there is a food chain that has maintained itself since the beginning.
What we don’t realize is that in our society there is also a food
chain that we are a part of everyday. The chain is cloaked by our
civilized society and no one gets eaten, but in some ways the effects
are more brutal than a cheetah pouncing on a gazelle. The sad fact is
that many of the people that are on the losing end of the food chain
perpetuate their own status by their actions and who they choose to
associate with.
The difference between
us and the real animals in the world is that we choose which life we
want to live. Although most people don’t know it, they have
chosen whether they want to be a hunter, scavenger, or prey. The
decisions they make on a daily or even an hourly basis reinforces the
lifestyle that most represents what they think of themselves.
Animal Characteristics
The people with the
underlying helpless outlook on situations that they feel they have no
control over are clearly the prey. They present themselves as not being
strong enough to effect the conditions around them and not courageous
enough to stand up for themselves. So what happens? They get eaten.
Those who wait for others to take actions are living their lives like
scavengers. They are the ones who may take action if and only if
absolutely necessary but usually wait for others to take action first.
The hunters are the ones who will go out and control their environment.
They understand that in order to get what you want, you must gain
instinct, timing, courage as well as the ability to risk what you have
in order to get what you want.
There
has been an ongoing debate in the past several years on whether the
tyrannosaurus rex was a predator or a scavenger. It has long been
assumed that because of the size of this monster, it was a predator.
Well many scientists are now refuting that assumption and finding that
the T-rex has many scavenger characteristics. There seems to a
consensus now among experts and many agree that T-rex was a hunter but
would not pass on an already dead meal.
All people possess
hunter, scavenger, and prey characteristics. In order to make your way
in this world sometimes you need to be a scavenger and sometimes you
need to hunt. Learning when to take on certain characteristic is a
valuable skill. Whenever I talk to people who complain about their job,
I like to ask them what they are doing to change whatever it is that
they are complaining about. Some may waive responsibility and point to
the duties of someone else hoping that the next person will take
action. Others will answer with a sense of helplessness. They are
usually convinced that nothing will ever change and that they are at
the mercy of the people above them. Then there are the few people that
look at a situation like that and take action with the intent to enact
change.
Flocks, Schools, and Prides
My father told me
recently that his mom always told him to be careful who he surrounds
himself with. She would always say, “You are who your friends
are.” This is a passing idea for most of us. Most people enjoy
hanging out with people like themselves. People who are the same age,
race, background, and who have the same interest are usually the people
we are attracted to. If you are an antelope, you are going to attract
other antelopes and lions. I sometimes question how much or our
unwillingness to look outside of our safety zone is affecting our
ability to exceed our potential.
There is a different
name for each group of animals. If you see a group of birds they are
called a flock. A group of fish is called a school. And a group of
lions is called a pride. This is not that much different then what we
call a certain group of humans. Gangs, nerds, jocks, there is a name
for any group of humans that are the same and associate with each
other. Sometimes clear classifications of humans are easy if you look
at the surface. But what I am presenting you is not just a look at what you do but an examination at who you are.
Who
you choose to associate with is a reflection of who you are. Your
friends, co-workers, and colleagues may be diverse in their race, age,
or background but in order for you to cohabitate peacefully you must
have something in common. You may have external differences but there
are internal similarities. More times than not, the people around you
have the same perception as you do. You provide something of value to
them and they provide something of value to you. In a threatening
situation, elephants will create circle to protect a baby elephant or a
weaker member of the group from danger. In the same way perhaps you
choose to surround yourself with certain people for protection or
security.
Take
a good look at who you are and who you want to be. There needs to be a
change in the group you are associated with if you conclude that there
is no correlation between what they offer you and where you want to be.
This doesn’t mean you should “fire” your friends but
it does mean that you should be looking for people who will aide you in
your progress. Wolves hunt in packs and successful people often
associate with each other in order to reach a common goal. Find your
pack and start hunting.
More Like Hunters
There is a time to be
submissive and there is a time to be aggressive. The hunter mentality
does not apply to all things in life. Submitting yourself to authority,
a higher power, or leaders is often a positive thing. However, within
that submission, there should be a readiness to act as a hunter when
the occasion calls. In general, being passive about goals, desires, and
your purpose is a huge mistake that so many people make every day of
their lives.
In order for you to truly control certain circumstances around
you, there must be an increase in your hunter characteristics. When you
learn to see situations, opportunities, and obstacles through the eyes
of a success predator, you will increase your chances of accomplishing
your goals. Here are some characteristics of a good hunter.
Find your Habitat-Animals
who are predators always develop and grow separately from their prey
but they live in the same or adjacent habitat. Cheetahs, lions, tigers,
share the same land as their food. Otherwise there would be no
opportunity to hunt. You must find the habitat where your opportunities
are.
If you are skilled at
what you do but there is no room for advancement in your current
position, you need to relocate to where the opportunities are. If you
want to network and meet new people, then get out of the house and go
where the people are. Simple concept, but the scavenger mentality
prevents people from making that move because of hopes that the food
will come to them.
Practice your pounce-Wolf
pups often chase each other around pretending to hunt one another. This
pretend hunting is actually training for when they are older and are
responsible for capturing their own food. There is usually a set of
skills needed in order to succeed at anything. Practicing those skills
are vital. Being prepared for any situation or obstacle may be the
difference maker.
Hunt for your life-Find
that thing that you love and pursue it as if it is the one thing that
sustains your life! The majority of people in the world are afraid to
go after what they truly want because they are afraid of the
possibility of rejection or failure. If a lion misses a kill, it
doesn’t give up, it tries again. Hunters understand that if they
don’t hunt, they don’t eat. Find that one thing that will
truly satisfy you and go after it. The most successful people in the
world are successful because they’ve found that one thing in
their lives that is their “food”. They pursue it because
they cannot imagine doing anything else in with lives. Find your
“food” and chase it until you capture it!
If you found this helpful send it to a friend
or you can use one of these to spread the word.
