The Wisdom of Sitting in the Mud

On safari in South Africa, I witnessed something delightful.

A massive bull elephant walked up to a large mud puddle, lowered himself down, and—much to my surprise—sat right in the middle of it. A few moments later, he eased his enormous body all the way down until he was lying flat on his side. His trunk rested against the ground, and you could hear the deep rhythm of his breath as he lay there, fully immersed, completely at ease.

After what felt like a long, deeply satisfying rest, the elephant stirred. He lifted his head, then slowly bent his legs beneath him. With great effort, he pushed himself up—first to his knees, then to his feet—until he stood tall once again. And then, without any urgency, he simply walked away and carried on with his day.

Watching him, I couldn’t help but think how rarely we allow ourselves this kind of pause. The elephant listened to his body and responded accordingly—lowering himself into a place that offered relief, restoration, and rest.

There is wisdom in doing what the elephant did.

To sit.

To be still.

To breathe and resist rushing toward what comes next. This too is a way of sitting in the mud.

That stillness is not a waste of time; it is the fuel for whatever comes next. When we allow ourselves to truly stop, we eventually find ourselves moving forward again—refreshed, grounded, and ready to walk the path ahead with a renewed sense of clarity and ease.