Message from the Hawk

It’s a scene I’ve seen time and time again. A Red-Tail Hawk flying with smaller birds chasing after it, pestering it and sometimes attacking it. I’ve always looked at these scenarios from the viewpoint of the smaller bird, cheering them on to get the predator away from their nest or area.

But the other day, as I watched (and subsequently filmed - forgive the production quality!) the same scene unfold above me again, the Hawk spoke to me. She said “just keep on flying. Despite all the little pokes, prods and sometimes full-on assaults - just keep those wings out and soar on.”

As I heard her say this, she did just that. She never turned and attacked the other birds and she didn’t come down to Earth. In fact - she soared higher to where they ultimately couldn’t follow. She kept her wings out and let the breeze carry her up and up and up.

I thought about all the times I would turn and push back on something or someone to absolutely no avail. Trying to get someone to see - and adopt - my point of view never really worked. Or trying so hard to make money to cover bills would lead to me getting sick instead - and incur more costs. All that energy for zero return!

Resistance, as they say on Star Trek, is futile. And while the intention with the Borg may have been different - the literal meaning in that phrase persists. In resistance, you end up going off course. Resistance becomes, indeed, futile and leads to nothing, if not exhaustion.

Rather, instead of resisting, let the detractors keep talking while you focus on soaring. That will get you to places you never imaged you would go.

Be the Hawk.

Hawk: Photo by Robert Thiemann on Unsplash