This posting is in reference to a well-known analogy given by Dr. Wayne Dyer, wherein he talks about the differences between eagles and ducks - not the birds, but the people.
There are those around us who simply soar - like eagles. In everything they do, they rise above. They meet every challenge - sometimes with great difficulty and heartache, they overcome every obstacle and they see broadened horizons. These are the eagles.
Then, of course there is the majority - the ducks. Quack, quack, quack. (To be said with a nasal sound as irritatingly as possible). These are they who go through the motions but never put in the emotion. They do all that is required, but not all that they could. They turn away from difficulty and quack their reasons for not being able to do more. They live in the world of "Can't Be Done" and do not raise their eyes to broader horizons, but are satisfied with the pond in which they live.
We all encounter ducks and eagles in every walk of life. Today, I met an eagle - at Denny's.
Many people think that eagles are CEO's, affluent and powerful individuals in the world. And while people of this caliber may very well be eagles, not all eagles are so prominent.
The eagle I met today is the manager at a Denny's Diner. When we walked in, everyone was busy taking care of the patrons seated in the dining area. He came from the kitchen area to the front and greeted us enthusiastically and seated us promptly.
During our stay he came over 4 different times to see that all was taken care of. And he did this for every patron. One patron who was short on time asked when his waitress would be taking his order, and he didn't go find the waitress - he just took the man's order, placed it with the kitchen and continued making his rounds.
And here is the most exciting thing of all - every single person that waited on us and the rest of the patrons had the same attitude and work ethic. Eagles attract other eagles and inspire the ducks to raise their heads and become eagles.
I said to my wife that I wished we could look ahead twenty years into the future to see where this 20-something year-old manager would be. Because I know this: even if his occupation is a janitor, he will still be an eagle - out-performing and lifting all the other janitors around him. But I believe that he will be well on his way to great success - success that he defines and strives for.
I want to be an eagle. I'm tired of being a duck. All my life there has been that secret something inside that has whispered to me that I have within me the ability to soar - to be an eagle. I talk to hundreds of people every year and have talked to thousands over the past decade, and I realize that I am not alone.
So this is a call to all those who wish to soar, who wish to rise above the mundane and become more! Shed your duck feathers and see yourself as an eagle. This young man confirmed for me something that I really have known all along - everyone in life can be an eagle. Everyone.
How does one do this? The first step is to realize that you are an eagle who has been told by circumstance, society and, unfortunately, even those who love you, that you are a duck. Ducks stay on the ground and are not prone to fall. Eagles can fall, and that is why they want you to be a duck.
But the thing about eagles is that when they fall, they shake off the dust, spread their wings and take flight again, never looking back on their fall as an indication that they have suddenly become a duck. They know that they are eagles, and you can too.
I disagree that "everyone can be an eagle." I think that's a bit of a crock from motivational speakers to try and get people to see above their situation. While I appreciate the sentiment, I think it would be better said that "Everyone can have their moments when they fly."
ReplyDeleteThe reason for that is no one can be an eagle all of the time. If you set people up with that expectation, they fall harder when they relapse and they resign themselves to duckdom.
Much more than an "Eagle" mentality, I like the mentality of a salmon or summat -- you've got upstream moments, downstream moments, but you decide which direction you go. Sometimes its worth it to fight upstream and sometimes it is the right thing to go with the flow. You won't always win, but you should win more than your lose. Then people's expectation meets up with reality and they are happy.
I think that's why a lot of our family has issues with failure -- they expect too much of themselves and of life sometimes. Ducks have it good sometimes too, and sometimes you've got to go play in the water. If I soared all day long as an eagle, I'd get pretty tired pretty quickly. Allow yourself both water and air moments for happiness, or you'll crash to the ground hard and who knows if you can get back up and fly again?
Don't want to beat a dead horse -- I await your reply.
Clearly, Piglet has missed the message of this post. The attitude of the eagle is that no matter what they do or where they are or what they are doing, they do the best they can - they don't settle for mediocrity.
ReplyDeleteThis does not mean that there is no room to "play in the pond," nor does it mean that one has to set unrealistic, fantastic goals.
It was stated that not all eagles are CEOs, &tc. Eagles can be dishwashers, students, janitors, CEOs, waitresses and anyone walking down the street.
The two most illuminating comments in this article are that ducks do all that is necessary, but not all they can. In other words, they just do the minimum to get by.
The second is that eagles, like all of us do run into difficulties and stumble and fall. However, the difference is that the eagle will shake himself off and continue to do the best job that he can.
This is an article about work ethic and being the best you can rather than trying to beat everyone else.
That, however is the exact point -- sometimes I think you should be okay with mediocrity. Accept yourself for who you are. I don't think it's good to WALLOW in mediocrity, but there's nothing wrong with being satisfied with less in certain aspects of life. I think you're right that you should try and do your best, but you need to be comfortable with failure too. Perhaps we're saying the same thing, but just make sure people's expectations are kept realistic. Good post.
ReplyDelete