myAMCI.com Thoughts Archive

Something to think about

Week 01] Jul 28-Aug 03

An American Indian legend tells about a boy who found an eagle's egg and put it into the nest of a prairie chicken. The eaglet hatched with the brood of chicks and grew up with them. Thinking he was a prairie chicken all his life, the changeling eagle did what the other prairie chickens did. He scratched in the dirt for seeds and insects to eat. He clucked and cackled. He flew in a brief trashing of wings and flurry of feathers no more than a few feet off the ground. After all, that's how prairie chickens were supposed to fly.

Years passed and the changeling eagle grew older. One day, he saw a magnificent bird far above him in the cloudless sky. Hanging with graceful majesty on the powerful wind, it soared with scarcely a beat of its golden wings.

"What a wonderful bird!" said the changeling eagle to his neighbor. "What is it?"

"That's an eagle, the chief of birds," his neighbor chicken clucked. "But don't give it a second thought. You can never be like him." He died thinking he was a prairie chicken.

What about you? Are you content to scratch in the dirt or would rather soar in the sky? If you'd prefer to soar, here are two thoughts that may help:

First, find something to get excited about. Something to look forward to. Something to dream about. Something to devote your life to.

Second, keep telling yourself you can do it. Stay away from cynics and complainers. They're not going anywhere -- you are. If you keep telling yourself you can do it, you probably will. Don't let a neighbor chicken tell you not to give your dreams a second thought. Soar with the eagles! Don't die a prairie chicken!

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