I’m so lucky to live in a place where I can observe duck families that live happily and uninterrupted. I’ve been watching a mother duck care for her ducklings. I watched as the ducklings hopped around playfully and randomly pecked at the ground. Mother Duck was loving and nurtured her little ones tenderly as they learned the skills needed to be good little ducks. She was also firm when she needed to be.

A short time later, I watched Mother Duck get up and start walking forward to leave the place she had nurtured her ducklings to this point. She knew this place no longer served her and her family well and that it was key to their survival that they swiftly pack it up and move on. Though Mother Duck was patient and steady, she did not coddle her babies and beg them to get going. Instead, she got up like a soldier and abrasively requested her ducklings follow her quickly and quietly. Whoever didn’t follow would most certainly get left behind.

Here’s what I learned from Mother Duck.

1.) Know your purpose and commit to it fiercely. Mother Duck knew her purpose in life was to teach her ducklings to survive on their own. Winter was coming and it was vital for them to learn survival skills or parish. She was never distracted and she never questioned her natural instincts. She did what her intuition told her to, and she never wavered. Imagine how far we could go if we always listened to our intuition.

2.) Live a balanced life. Mother Duck knew when her ducklings needed a tender touch or reminder and when she needed to be firm and push her ducklings out of their comfort zone. She knew when someone was hungry and made sure everyone had just enough with no excess because she knew it wasn’t necessary. She was always on time and always had a plan. Because of this, she was successful in her quest for her family’s survival.

3.) Know when it’s time to move on. Mother Duck knew when her babies were equipped enough to move on to their next home. She didn’t waste time. When they had the skills they needed, she simply got up and made the decision it was time to go. She sternly called her ducklings and led them in the march to a better destination. Luckily, all the ducklings waddled along behind her anxious to embark on a new adventure. Had they not followed her, she and the rest of the family would have moved on anyway. She knew staying in the same place just wouldn’t be adequate. Do you know when something is no longer serving you?

Sometimes I think our species is too intelligent for its own good. We forget the most basic things. If you sometimes feel like the baby ducklings fumbling around on the lawn trying to figure out why your current habits and behaviors aren’t working for you, you should sign up to receive my free call this month. It’s focused on emotions caused by trauma connected with food, but the lesson is applicable to areas of life http://themuseskiss.com/loseweightforlifecall/.