Spiral Up: Inspired by Tursi
Spiraling Up: Inspired by Tursi!
Since the time I can remember I have had this adoring love for dolphins. My Mom says she thinks they called to me when she and Dad put me in the Atlantic Ocean when I was 5 months old. I don’t think she is wrong. See I grew up in Iowa nowhere near dolphins. I didn’t have the opportunity to experience a dolphin in person until I was 14. Yet this connection is deep in my soul.
Every paper in school that I was able to pick the subject was about dolphins. I was determined that I wanted to be a marine biologist so I could play with dolphins every day. Marine biology was my major in college for two years before realizing it was the “playing” with dolphins that I really wanted to do not so much all the biology stuff.
To this day, I study dolphins for fun. It is true. When I binge-watch TV, it is documentaries about dolphins. My home and office are full of dolphins and other ocean references (I am also an avid scuba diver).
I have written before about how the dolphins became Synchronicity’s logo.
I am inspired today by a dolphin named Tursi. It is her 50th birthday. She is the offspring of two dolphins that played Flipper in the TV show. She lives at the Dolphin Research Center in Grassy Key, Florida, where she is the matriarch of their pod. As the leader, she operates as a teacher, guide, and support. She takes this role seriously and with love. We observed this most recently when a new first-time mom struggled to care for her infant dolphin. Tursi supported and even took over mothering the baby at times to help the mother learn and gain experience. Without her support, the baby would not have thrived.
I want to share the connection dolphins have with Spiraling Up.
Dolphins exemplify curiosity. Curiosity is a great way to navigate our Fog experiences (uncertainty, change, conflict). Dolphins will first explore their curiosity through their senses, predominately their echolocation but also sight, sound, and touch. Taking in and Considering as much information as they can gather. Seeking information from diverse perspectives is a productive behavior for Spiraling Up.
Dolphins also take Responsibility for their role in their pod. They operate as a team with each team member’s role and efforts being integral to the success of the pod. They help each other and share information (even between pods and species). These are the behaviors of Pursuing Solutions and Building Collaboration in Spiraling Up. Just like Tursi!
Let me share an example. Often when feeding, a pod of dolphins surround a school of fish (they particularly like mackerel and herring—I told you I studied these animals!) and take turns swimming through the school to get their fish to eat. Once an individual gets their fish, they return to help the herding effort so others can swim through and get theirs too. No one abandons the team when they have eaten. They also communicate so effectively that they don’t go out of turn either. Realize this is all happening at significant speed and effort. Organized chaos. And yet it seems to be an exciting and joyful experience for them.
One other super cool note about this feeding ritual is how other species rely on the dolphins to do their thing. You will see flocks of sea birds above the pod also partaking in the herded fish. Other predator fish and mammals (seals and such) will also tag along to get a meal. The dolphins are happy to serve in this role too. They have that growth mindset of abundance. They understand the connections between things.
This is what is meant by Spiraling Up. Individuals using a growth mindset, getting curious, seeking to understand the connections between things, bringing forth their talents, experiences, and efforts to collaborate with teammates to solve problems as a pod of dolphins would, together.