I’ve finally settled on my theme for this year – Learning to Fly.
Recently, I was pondering the image of a young bird leaving its nest and wondering, why does it learn to fly? After all, isn’t the nest nice, cozy, warm, and safe? Why venture out? I could think of only two likely answers: curiosity or the mama bird nudged it out. But, the second answer only explained why it left the nest, not why it learned to fly. So, I propose the following explanation.
At some point the young bird may wander to the end of the branch from its nest and peer out into the rest of the world. Something out there catches its eye and the young bird will want a closer look. The bird moves closer, stumbles off the branch and finds itself falling. At that point, the bird has two choices. (1) Keep falling, or (2) go toward the object of its gaze. I think it is it’s will to arrive at a particular destination rather than the desire not to fall that leads the bird to fly. The young bird had a place it wanted to get to, and it discovered that flying was an effective way to get there.
As for me, I’m not suggesting that I have yet to leave my nest, but rather that this is a year for me to be deliberate about choosing to aim for the object of my gaze and learn to fly in the process. I’m excited about the year ahead and all its potential for some magnificent flights, if I want them and am willing to work toward them.
In what way will you learn to fly in 2010?
