My Hero Is This Goat

This is not something I ever thought I'd say, but I think we can all learn a valuable lesson from a goat in Russia. His name is Timur, he lives in Siberia, and he's a bad motherfucker.

I heard about Timur while listening to Max & Marcellus on ESPN last night. They were talking about this goat and tiger at a wildlife park across the world. The tiger typically ate goats and rabbits, but in November, the park staff served up Timur for lunch and instead of the eating him, the tiger made friends.

Actually, Timur kicked the tiger out of his hut, took over the place, and started organizing recreational activities. The tiger was so whipped he went four days without eating and slept on the roof because the goat wanted more space. Two months later, they're sharing a water bowl and have a joint Instagram account.

The other animals are so disgusted.

According to park staff, Timur had never seen a tiger before so the goat didn't realize he should be afraid. All he knew was he wanted a nice bed and some grazing area, so he walked in and got it. The goat was fearless, immediately earning respect, plus his horns were a total wild card.

To me, this story is incredible. It sounded like a fable, but it's all true, and has become the subject of several documentaries and countless news articles.

Anyhow, I made a New Year's resolution to read one book a month, but that seems like a hassle so I've decided to scrap it and instead I'm vowing to be like this goat. I will no longer let my fears inhibit me or get intimidated; I will be aggressive, bold and I'm going after what I want; and I'm putting people who annoy me on the roof.

In a society of ranks, titles, and myriad perceptions, the tendency is to believe in them. There appears to be a ladder to rise, and a seat to be vacated. There's a path, there are steps, there's royalty and alliances, a food chain and natural selection - it's all been mapped out. But as this goat proves, no one knows you and you don't know them until you make an introduction. Similarly, we can never know the depths of possibility and our own capability.

You either allow yourself to be placed in position, or you march in and claim your territory. You define yourself, your life, what you stand for, what you deserve. Even if every goat before you was a failure, you can be the one who makes it to the top (or out alive!).

You choose whether or not to be prey.

I doubt I'm going to be completely fearless, but I've got 2016 to work on it, and I'm already not scared of tigers ... so yay!

Thank you to Timur for teaching me to be fierce.