5 Reasons to Surround Yourself with Frogs

May 13^th is Frog Jumping Day. Frogs are spry and inspiring creatures — even as toy figures. Here are 5 Frog traits to convince you to surround yourself with frogs.

Image source: earthwatch.org

Frogs have backbone. One of the functions of a backbone is to help a frog jump and move to protect itself from predators. If it didn’t have a backbone it would flop around on the ground like a jellyfish and wouldn’t be able to actively protect itself. To have backbone is to have the strength to protect oneself. For humans, it’s an admired and required trait to have.

Frogs are amphibious. Frogs can live on land or water.  It’s easy for frogs to adapt to many environments – not all creatures can claim to be so flexible; there’s no room for rigidity in a frog’s life.  For humans, to be rigid can be detrimental to well-being. Flexibility and adaptability are seen as traits that lead to success. Whether you’re a stay-at-home-dad or the Secretary of State, the world is changing around you. Without flexibility and adaptability, people can’t grow and change with the world around you.

Image source: http://ed101.bu.edu

Frogs go through metamorphosis. This just means they change from a tadpole (which looks like a tiny fish) to a froglet (a small frog with a tail) to a frog.  Frogs grow and change. People are constantly changing whether we know and like it or not. We resist change even though it’s inevitable and, for the most part, it’s good. Just as inevitably we all say, “I wish I knew then what I know now.”

Frogs are cold-blooded. When it’s cold, the frog is cold; when it’s warm, the frog is warm. Frogs need warmth to function and they seek out warm spots to colonize and breed. While it’s instinctual for frogs to settle together, humans have to actively settle with one another. We don’t need to have other people around but, generally speaking, we are happier when we’re connected to other human beings. Unlike the temporary joy we get from buying and owning things, connection and the happiness we get from other humans lasts and we continue to want strive for it even after we have it.

Image source: theguardian.com

Frogs can jump ten times their length. When the frog jumps, it stretches its muscles, lets them contract and then stretches them again to get maximum height. While humans are not the greatest jumpers, how the frog jumps reminds us to use all we have to perform at the best of our ability.

Whether you just need a cute green friend in the garden or you need motivation, having a frog around can brighten your day.