PHINDA FUTHI
When tracking (either by vehicle or on foot) my two favourite words are “Phinda futhi” or in English, “loop around”. Either way, it means to go back again over the same territory, to look again for clues to where the leopard you’ve been searching for might be now. Eventually you will come across a broken branch or fresh poop or some sign which will ultimately lead you to a good look at this stunning animal. Until that sign appears, though, you will go round and round the area, as many times as it takes, excitement filling the vehicle’s occupants no matter what the heat or how dry it is.
I use those words a lot in life too, along with “begin again”. And I believe they are some of the wisest words there are, in any language. Because life is like that, like the bush, like the leopard. We lose our way, we lose sight of what it is we were seeking, we lose track of what was calling us forward. It’s inevitable, no matter how focused you are. No one can stay on their path 24/7 – life has too many distractions. Yet somehow in life we make it a bad thing if we try and fail, don’t we? If we lose our way or do something not according to plan or to society’s expectations, then there is something WRONG. Often it gets pointed inward, so that there is something WRONG with us. We are stupid, or a failure, or our first grade teacher was right – we will never succeed as a grown up.
I have a very different view of this, these days, after decades of doing just that any time things didn’t work out or I didn’t follow the “rules for success”. And tracking was a big part of that shift. In the bush, if you miss the leopard altogether, perhaps you come across a pack of wild dog moving through the sea of tall grass like land based dolphins. Or you find a quintessential African sunset with that marvelously huge red ball of a sun hovering over the distant mountains. Even if it’s not what you thought would happen, it’s always amazing. So I wonder why it’s so hard for us to do this in everyday life. What would happen if we brought that sense of anticipation and awe to our day to day lives? Because we truly don’t know what will happen on any given day, do we?
Time isn’t promised. The world is teaching us that in big ways these days, so perhaps it’s time for us to see every “failure” or “misstep” or “problem” as an opportunity to begin again. And at the same time, let go of those voices in our heads that tell us there is something wrong and allow it all to be a learning experience. To let this world teach us all the lessons we came to learn without berating ourselves, internally or externally. To give ourselves as many chances as we need, and to tackle them knowing the end result will always be amazing.
Life will surprise you if you allow it to.
Phinda futhi. Loop around. Begin again. Because, truly, why not?
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