Take a look at this face. Take a look at that face. It’s amazing. They always seem to smile, which is a good thing. Do you not wish that you could maintain that calm expression every now and again? You should if you don’t already.

Everyone deserves to be able to relax from time-to-time. International Sloth Day is actually about two things. It’s about learning a few lessons from the world’s sloths and raising awareness about the many people who hurt, capture, sell, or kill sloths. Participate in International Sloth Day this year to keep the smiles on the faces of sloths!

AIUNAU is a non-profit foundation that protects all species of wildlife. They created International Sloth Day. Since 1996, the Columbian members of AIUNAU have been working with sloths. They were shocked to learn how many were killed each year by cars and power lines and how many were being kept as pets.

After rescuing a sloth they give it a chance to recover and then release it into the wild. International Sloth Day was created in November 2010. It was designed to help people learn more about these quiet, shy creatures. This will keep them from becoming extinct like many species of sloth.

You can celebrate International Sloth Day in many ways, depending on what aspect you want to focus on. For example, learning to slow down and appreciate the small things in life or helping the South American sloths. You could choose to do one or both. You could, for example, stop buying the cappuccino that you have been drinking every day for a week, and then donate the money to the AIUNAU.

If you are feeling overwhelmed by caffeine and can’t live without it for a whole week then consider riding to work each day and then donating any fuel or bus fare savings. There are so many options.

It is important to let go of control and enjoy International Sloth Day. We live in an extremely fast-paced world. We receive hundreds, if not thousands, of texts, calls, and emails daily. It’s easy to be in a hurry: we rush to get to work, then rush to pick the kids up, then rush to go home.

Get enough sleep, go for a walk in the park, or take a long soak in the tub. Make a meal instead of just heating up frozen food in the microwave. Humans need to realize that, although we are the smartest of all species, there are still things we can learn from other species. Who could teach us a better lesson on how to relax than the sloth! Exactly!