Be Like the Bird

Be like the bird, who
Halting in his flight
On limb too slight
Feels it give way beneath him,
Yet sings
Knowing he hath wings.

Victor Hugo, in The Aerialist

We’re like birds in the air or fish in the water.

Being supported by that which we can’t see, it’s reasonable that we might assume we aren’t supported. And yet, we are. We may as well sing since we are so well supported!

No Failure

How would you do things differently if you knew you could not fail? This was a question a coach asked me years ago and it stymied me. Why talk to me about failure? Why even bring it up?

As I’ve started to find my own wings, I’ve noticed what I had called failure. Anything different than what I expected or hoped for I had thought was somehow wrong. I was judging the path. I’ve continued to learn the lesson that the path is the part to be enjoyed. The destination is not the goal and instead the journey is where we’re living and most alive.

So, in those moments where life seems to be going differently than I expect, those are the times to sing!