You know, quite often we hear/see people make statements about eagles, in terms of our destiny (I'm meant to soar!) or who we hang around (Eagles don't fly with pigeons!), etc., and in responding to a "who eagles don't hang around" post on Facebook today, My instinct was to respond, "They fly solo," and as I was typing my response, I thought... let me just verify that. You see, I was going off the fact that every time I've ever seen an eagle, it's been a spectacular sight, but there was always just ONE. So I asked Google. And while it's true that eagles do indeed fly alone, I discovered other qualities of eagles that I didn't know, but which are useful when contemplating life and our comparisons of ourselves to these majestic birds.
So here's what I learned from what I "discovered" about eagles (which might just work awesomely for humans, too):
Eagles fly alone at high altitudes and they don't fly in a flock.
Now, don't get me wrong... This doesn't meant that those of us with high aspirations and high expectations of ourselves are in a position to look down on others or isolate ourselves as if we're better. No way. This just helps me understand that a lot of high achievers fly alone. This means we don't travel the usual path, we don't do the usual stuff, and we don't find ourselves surrounded by a lot of "friends." We may be surrounded by a lot of people or things, but we generally are alone a lot, because we need time to think and time to plan. Trying out new ideas and pursuance of our dreams takes up a lot of our time. Our need to day dream, troubleshoot, and think things through can often isolate us, even when we're in a crowd of people. Our brains never stop planning, and they never stop idea-ing. A lot of us might even want to have a large circle of friends, but it's just too hard to maintain that AND nurture what's being constantly hatched in our brains.
Eagles have strong vision and can focus from very high in the air -- when an eagle sees its prey, it narrows its vision and doesn't relent until its prey is in its grasp.
What more needs to be said? LOL! Eagles are clearly high-level thinkers with the ability to see, plan, attack, and obtain. The key here is to not just be a high-level visionary -- there are lots of those-- but when you see that your goal is within your reach, you must be willing to focus and tenaciously go after that which you seek. What does it take for this bird to see a rodent from 2 miles in the air, decide "that is what I want" and then swoop down to ground level to get it? The instinct for the eagle is to see what it desires and to do what's necessary to get it.
Eagles don't consume dead things; they only go after living prey.
We must always, ALWAYS be in a state of observing, learning, and integrating new things. If you rely on "the old way" or "the way things used to be," you'll die. You must know that high thinkers and high achievers are always taking in new information and looking for new, more efficient ways to complete a task. Pursuing "how things were" anchors you to a dead past -- you'll never see "how things can be." You must go after living prey-- pursue the new. Read (peer-reviewed) articles, take a class, get certified, get another degree, travel, meet people who have done things in your area of interest or expertise that you haven't yet done... Always pursue living ideas and concepts. Continue to GROW.
Eagles are able to see sideways AND forward at the same time.
Now, this is the one that blew my mind. Peripheral vision is cool and all, but what if you could see as far sideways as your ears without turning your head?! As I thought about this and continued to read, it became clear. We can't be SO focused on destiny that we are unable to see the dangers and downfalls that may come at us from what others may perceive as our "blind spot"... If you could see that far to the side in real life you'd likely never be "blind sided" right?? "Eagles," though forward-focused on the approach and attack, never lose sight of things that may come along to distract or destroy them. We must remain aware of the environments and people around us; we must know where they fit in our lives (good/bad, friend/foe) and the impact they could possibly have on our progress and our ultimate destiny. KNOW YOUR SURROUNDINGS... You won't fly with pigeons, but there are other birds and other predators out there. Be aware of what's around you, even while you're focused on what's ahead.
Eagles actually use the pressure coming off of storms, hills and mountains to soar. This gives the eagle's wings a chance to rest during long journeys.
Don't you hate that every time you hear about leadership and achievement you hear people talk about how they welcome challenges and failures?? gawsh!! Well if you want to liken yourself to an eagle, then you have to welcome these so-called obstacles and use them to your advantage. Eagles use the updrafts from storms, hills, and mountains to reach long-distance destinations. These "obstacles" actually HELP the eagle, because it doesn't have to flap its wings as much to get where it's going. The eagle uses the winds to soar -- and rest (!) in the midst of a long journey. Can you imagine embracing a storm or mountain in your life's adventure as a time to spread your wings and soar?? Eagles have figured out that obstacles are a positive (and welcomed) part of the journey, and they use them to their advantage.
So there. My lesson shared with you. G'one and soar, eagle!
“The eyesight for an eagle is what thought is to a man.”
― Dejan Stojanovic, The Creator
