“We go again” is a popular call to arms as it were when one has set a goal and it has not yet been achieved even after some setback or just a breather. Yet, we can learn so much from a small bird called a Blackpoll Warbler.
This bird weighs 12grams, flies thousands of miles from Canada to South America in three days, non-stop, during its migration. Ah, so many lessons. Let’s just put down some descriptive words and we can unpack it all at another time, except maybe address one or two points. Lightweight, determined, goal-oriented, focused, over-achiever, opportunistic. It is probably appropriate to compare these characteristics to ourselves and see how we fare. It is important that we look at these characteristics as positives such that we can apply it to ourselves optimistically. The overriding feature of this tiny awe-inspiring bird that it is an achiever. When one considers the distance and duration of the journey, then we ourselves would be tired and already feel drained by sheer amazement. Yet, this small creature, does it twice a year – up and down.
This is a chance to reflect and put our lives in perspective. We are couch potatoes, we hide behind excuses, we fear failure before we have even tasted it, we resent success because there are likely to be obstacles like a minute pebble. We have been endowed with much more than this little bird, yet this bird has traveled further than most of us. This bird has overcome more than us. Is it not now that we have to make the commitment to want to achieve too? A commitment means making the firm intention. We spend money on things that brings us only short-term gratification but we are reluctant to spend that which will be of long-term benefit. It is time we move in the right direction, get the right assistance, and do more.
The Blackpoll Warbler is an over-achiever – you can at least be an achiever. You are capable, you have dreams – put it together and realise it.
Picture courtesy: https://carnegiemnh.org/bay-breasted-and-blackpoll-warblers/
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