Humans don’t fly, right? Sure they do. Who remembers learning how to ride a bike? Didn’t it feel like flying? All of a sudden, we were able to move at a formerly incomprehensible speed, leaving ordinarily life a dot disappearing in our wake. These days, biking is more like a cruise through nearby neighborhoods at a speed that lets me notice. And today’s ride was literally for the birds.
Moving the bike from the garage was halted by the presence of a hawk on the wire. And one on the small palm. And another from the side fence and one from the feeder. As one of the neighborhood squirrels soon discovered it was a hunting party. Fortunately for the squirrel, they’re young and not very good at it. I guess if you wanna soar, first you’ve gotta grow, then you need to get unstuck.
I remembered to be grateful. Let’s get back to the humans who want to fly. Click To Tweet
Not far into the ride I happened upon a large family (or two) of geese waddling along the hell-strip, feasting on grass and weeds. It’s the time of year they can’t fly: the new flight feathers are still maturing. So the walk. Or waddle. Sweet, soft little grunting noises and the sound of ripping grass stayed with me as I pedaled slowly through a cool, shady neighborhood. I remembered to be grateful to the planners and developers who work around beautiful, mature trees. Another mile or so down the road a mature tree on the edge of a large pond looked like a well-decorated Christmas tree — only the dozens of “ornaments” were delicate white egrets.
Not Everyone Enjoys Using a Bike to Fly
Let’s get back to the humans who want to fly. Not everyone enjoys a bike. What does flying look like for you? How about soaring?
“Before I can fly, I’ve gotta _______.”
How are we going to fill in that blank for you??? And what’s up with the ugly little bird?
I took this picture at my home in New Hampshire where I’d been watching a mother bird feed her little ones. She decided it was time for them to fly. Only this little baby wasn’t convinced.
I’ll never know whether he didn’t want to fly or he just wasn’t physically ready. It probably doesn’t matter. Somebody else set a goal for him and he didn’t achieve it. Well… actually…. That’s not 100% accurate. He and his sibs “flew.” Straight to the ground. The other little bird-os made it to the top of the garden fence. And then higher up into a tree. And on to the roof of the barn. Except for this one. He was on the ground and going nowhere fast. And not at all happy about it.
I have made myself miserable by comparing my insides to others’ outsides — and by spending energy pursuing goals I didn’t set. Click To Tweet
I can relate. I have (at least once in my life) managed to make myself miserable by comparing my insides to what I see others doing. It’s just not good for my attitude or outlook on life. Even worse is when I expend energy trying to achieve goals I didn’t set. I can’t think of a better way to stay grounded. Stuck. Unable to fly.
It’s a Combination of Science and Art
Whether writer, visual artist, direct seller, or parent… living up to our potential requires a combination of science (skills and information) and art (choosing the right combination and making them a part of what we do). And as much as we’d sometimes like to pretend otherwise, there’s no magic bullet. When it comes to getting unstuck there is no ‘one size fits all.’
Some days my gratitude list includes that fact that my parents were busy and overwhelmed learning how to take care of me – otherwise, they might have had time to learn that teen parents are destined to poverty and failure. Fortunately they didn’t know that. At the age of nineteen, they were married, full time university students and parents. Whatever their plans had been until then, they now had responsibilities to take care of.Fortunately, their parents had taken the time to plant their feet on the ground and aim their eyes toward the sky. It never occurred to them to do anything BUT to figure out how to create the best possible family they could. They were blessed with the examples of hard work, goal setting and ‘stick-to-it-ive-ness.’ It took ‘early parenthood’ to bring these skills and attitudes into focus.
Circumstances – often unpleasant ones – help them catch fire, get to work and accomplish the things that matters to them. Click To Tweet
That’s the point. Everyone starts somewhere. People are born with unlimited amounts of potential, most of which never gets tapped. Early in their lives, something or someone creates a spark. Circumstances – often unpleasant ones – help them catch fire, get to work and accomplish the things that matters to them.
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Are the tough times in your life fanning a spark that will grow into a flame? So many ways to get unstuck! Tell us about some of your favorites in the comments. I know I’d love to hear them.
“Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and, above all, confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this something, at whatever cost, must be attained.” ~ Marie Curie
Roo. That’s what he was called. Roo as in Winnie-the-Pooh’s friend from the Hundred Acre Wood. It was a cute name but one that did not seem a good fit for such a strong, muscular young pup.
In addition to my social media survey, I had posed the question to three animal-loving yet dogless kids in my life: a niece, a nephew, and my 
