In other news, Otter Philosophy...

This is not some bland and banal philosophy in which I tell you how to live your life in a better way.

This is the one that teaches you how to have fun.

Disclaimer: this is a light-hearted read.

Otters are cute delightful, furry little creatures who devote their life to ‘fun‘ and have a lot to teach about the same. They play various games. What other creatures build water slides just for fun?

Let me introduce the PLAY method:

PLAY consists of whatever your body is not obliged to do.

P stands for ‘Plunge In’ i.e.

going all in, no half measures, acting impulsively, enjoying every opportunity, whatever you do, you go on a full throttle mode.

L stands for ‘Laugh about it‘ i.e.

being able to see funny sides of messed up situations. Laughing out loud even at lame jokes and I am not talking about a keyboard LOL, I am talking about an actual cackle, bark, shriek, or guffaw (or whatever sound it is that you emit).

A is for ‘ Ask why, i.e.

basically cultivating curiosity. What do you think about X? What does someone else think about X? Why are things the way they are? (PS: I am not asking you to drive yourself MAD, just keep it simple, do it until it’s fun.)

For example - Otters are interested in different kinds of rocks, passing fishes, toy balls and what not. It's exactly the kind of curiosity we should be striving for.

Y stands for ‘YOLO’ i.e.

#YouOnlyLiveOnce. Might sound a little cliche’ but it’s the truth. So grab every opportunity the world throws at you (though reasonable one’s, don’t go on a killing spree, if you get that opportunity.) Love your face and voice, eliminate toxic people, save earth if that’s what excites you.

Now lets talk about how Otter philosophy helps in practical terms.

LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP

Mark Twain said, ‘The holy passion of friendship is so sweet and steady and enduring in nature that it will last through a whole lifetime, if not asked to lend money.' That’s the kind of humor one needs in their life.

If you hang out with people who are loomy like you, you can be out of touch with this beautiful diverse world. Now this is not humor, this is what Chris Crandell said.

Hanging out with like minded people is comfortable and it’s good, until it isn’t.

Along with this, physical affection is also needed, so give a hug to your bestie, mum, pet, or anyone you care about, but don’t hug your co workers or fellow mates without their consent, don’t be a creep!

Most importantly, understand that communication is a key to success and good relationships that give you happiness. Otters teach us all of this since they strike up friendships with other species too like goats, cats, dogs and in some cases even humans. They prefer snuggles to handshakes, sleep at night while holding hands just to not wake up alone and they are chat buddies too.

Another interesting fact is that the Asian clawed otters pick just one partner and stick with them for life and this long term relationship is sustained through fun and games. So go try out new compatible effortless activities with your partner. Night outs, night overs, night parties , there is so much to do in the night itself , surely you can figure out a lot with a full day in your hands!

FOOD AND DRINKS

We live for good food, at least I and otters do. Otters like to eat food off their tummies , while floating on their back. They are extremely non judgmental in how they eat and just have one motive i.e to enjoy their snack, #ScrewTableManners. They mostly eat stuff they find in the sea, like crayfish , frogs, crabs. But for interest they eat rabbits or rats and even a bird or two. They teach us to experiment with food. So try out every local cuisine of the places you travel to, even if you don’t travel then try out new restaurants in your locality, ask for their special items and try new food there.

LEISURE AND PLEASURE

Guess what? When otters vocalize together it sounds like they are singing. And singing is actually one of the best ways to relax and calm down. A book named Imperfect Harmony says that group singing is cheaper than therapy, healthier than drinking, and certainly more fun than working out.

Otters love to play. They play well with others and themselves. How do you do that in quarantine? Do pranks with your best friends, make use of the time when you cannot work.

Stop worrying and be an Otter. It’s the perfect time to do so. Otters love water rides. A wet muddy riverbank is like Disneyland for these guys, albeit with fewer crowds and ‘no admission fee’. They slide on their bellies and do it on loop. And this all what Otter philosophy is about - finding your eye for fun.

Your own water slide.