I met Wilson in the jungle. We spent just a few short days together. But in that brief time, Wilson became so much to me. He was a hero. A mentor. A friend. A role model. A sloth.

Okay, mostly a sloth.

When I first caught sight of Wilson, he seemed to be nothing more than a ball of fur wedged into the intersection of two tree branches. This particular tree stood near a gorgeous elevated yoga deck in a place called Imiloa, a retreat center nestled like a jewel into the lush Costa Rican jungle. My partner Ro and I met there with 25 participants for our first annual “Pure Wild Self” retreat. 

Wilson stayed in the same tree for a few days, watching us from an upside-down position. As the retreat progressed, I realized that he was a much better life coach than I am. He was actually doing the things humans must learn if we are to live in peace, joy, and love—especially in the chaos of our troubled times. Here’s how he did it.

First of all, Wilson just hung out.

I mean that literally. Once Wilson’s ball-of-fur self uncurled, he hooked his toes onto a branch and dangled there, soaking up the sweet, soft jungle air, the cool breeze, and the joy of being. We all loved having him there, and he seemed to feel the same way about us.

Every time I glanced over at Wilson, I felt a lilt of gratitude, and asked myself: How many times will I have to be reminded that my life’s highest purpose is just hanging out with beings I love? But Wilson never got impatient with me. He just hung there.

Next, Wilson watched.

He seemed interested, but never judgmental. For two days he watched us talk and laugh and coach and rediscover our true nature. He never seemed bored or urgent.

In short, Wilson embodied the truth that when we humans are struggling to lose our negative programming and come back to ourselves, what we need is not aggressive action, but a still, alert, compassionate witness. As each person at the retreat settled into this aspect of themselves, everyone began to heal and thrive. I love how that always works.

Then Wilson spent some time exploring.

By the third day of the Pure Wild Self retreat, Wilson seemed ready to pack in some action. At one point he made his way up his branch, traveling a distance of about ten feet in five minutes or so. Then he spent hours looking around from his vantage point. He seemed to be scanning the canopy for new ideas and adventures. He took his time.

Meanwhile, on the yoga deck (and at the waterfall, and on the beach, and in all the Imiloa rooms that had been tucked into the jungle without cutting a single tree), we humans also explored. The space became more and more sacred as each person went to the furthest extent of courage and purpose, and looked at the world from there. It’s rarely easy to contemplate making big positive changes or looking squarely at our dreams. To do it we must bear our fear of change, of failure, of the unknown. Wilson showed us how, in style.

Occasionally, Wilson took a wild leap.

Sometime after his excursion to the top of his branch, Wilson apparently made a decision. Still hanging by his toes, he edged down to a lower level of his tree. He made his way to the tip of a different branch, one that hung over—if you can imagine this—a completely different tree! 

At this point, Wilson was in position to do a superhero move. He let go of his branch and fell into the neighboring tree. After much crashing and swooshing of leaves, he managed to hook on again. It. Was. Breathtaking. Wilson showed us all that no matter how well we prepare for the future, there will be times when we must let go of everything familiar and trust the landing.

A sloth expert once told me that these fabulous creatures can fall up to 100 feet without getting seriously injured. That’s lucky, because your average sloth falls out of a tree about once a week. We humans are like that, too. We fall often, but we are hardy. A great life isn’t a life devoid of failure or disappointment. It’s a life where we get so familiar with failure and disappointment that we know they can’t stop us.

The wildly successful people I have known aren’t strangers to failure. No, they’ve failed much, much more often than the folks I’ve met who are waiting for greatness to become easy and risk-free. To achieve high dreams, be like Wilson. Take the leap. 

Today, please consider living more like Wilson.

To sum up: 

1. Hang out with your loved ones, breathing fresh air if you can find any. Lean up against a tree. 
2. Don’t check the clock or your phone for a while. Instead, watch your own inner turmoil, the struggles around you. No judgment, no comment. Be a compassionate witness. 
3. Spend some time exploring your heart’s desires. What do you long for? What’s the best thing you can dare to hope for? Go out to the tips of these branches, where the footing feels a bit unsteady.
4. Let go of what is no longer working. Fall toward what wants to come next. Trust that you are built to catch the branches—or, if not, to survive the drop.

This isn’t how we’re taught to act. It’s not a way of being that’s rewarded by speeches and medals and piles of money. But it’s the way to your center, to the calm, delighted consciousness you are at your core.

Dare to live like Wilson, and you’ll be more than okay. 

You’ll be magnificent. 

You already are. 

Following the Way of the Sloth will help you remember that.