Forge ahead and trust your wings to carry you.
Nature never ceases to amaze me, as it is always showing me something to emulate or to think about. Today I am sharing the story of the parrot Bruce, (a “kea,” a type of parrot, from New Zealand), and his ingenuity in compensating for a disability. According to the researchers who rescued him when he was a baby, he didn’t have his upper beak. As a result, his chances of survival were slim, as keas use their beaks for preening their feathers to get rid of parasites and to remove dirt and grime. To the surprise of his caretakers, Bruce, by himself, came up with the idea of using a particular shape of stone as a tool for preening. This kea never had seen other keas do that, nor had humans taught him how to compensate for his disability by using a pebble. On his own, he figured out what he needed to do to make up for his condition and did it. Ornithologists—zoologists who focus on birds--don’t know exactly how Bruce chose his tool from among other possible options, but what they know through extensive study is that birds are intelligent creatures that exhibit a wide range of smart behaviors, including good memories, substantial communication, planning for the future, and remembering the past. Some birds can solve problems, and others have been observed playing: both activities that indicate more than just basic instinct.
Bruce’s story is inspiring, and this is what he taught me: he didn’t see himself as a victim of his circumstances, wasn’t caught up in self-pity, and didn’t become intellectually paralyzed when it came to addressing his situation. Nor was he waiting for somebody else (bird or person) to solve his affliction--which he needed a prompt resolution to if he were to survive. In addition, he didn’t worry about what other birds might think of him, when he was going back into the wild, or where his bird family was--he just went about the task of addressing his problem.
Life is not easy for anybody, human, bird, or animal. We all have afflictions to overcome and are constantly confronted with challenges that spur emotional ups and downs because we don’t have control of our surroundings most of the time, or because we make mistakes. However, as Bruce shows us with his creativity and determination, it is up to each one of us to create a joyous and fulfilling existence. Regardless of what life presents us with, we must move forward and trust our intelligence and skills to carry us through to what we are meant to be.
Are you having a difficult moment, or even a hard week? Forge ahead and trust your “wings" to carry you. It is the courage to continue that counts. French physicist and chemist Marie Curie put it best when she said:
"We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.”
Hopefully this week Bruce's story will give you the necessary strength and reassurance to be confident in your own abilities.
Read the full story here.