I read again a picture article on eagle a friend sent to me few years ago and based on my readings and research, these are my top 12 life lessons from eagles
Eagles are large and powerful birds. There are so many valuable lessons we can learn from them. They taught the most profound lesson on change. I will summarise the simple message as let’s change to make a change. Eagle symbols are used by many countries flags, seals to represent strength.
1. Eagles have very large hooked beaks, strong muscular legs and powerful talons. All of these features are what makes the eagle an eagle.
#Your frame is designed specially for your purpose. Love and appreciate yourself the way you are, whether tall or short, big or small, black, blue or green.
2. “An eagle has a very strong vision and extremely keen eyesight, up to 3.6 times human acuity.” Wikipedia. They have the ability to focus on potential prey from a 5km distance and target them.
#Without vision, you will be limited, unable to see far beyond your nose. Your vision will set your priorities and values.
3. An eagle flies only in the company of fellow eagles. Eagles don’t associate themselves with other birds.
#Show me your friend and I will tell you who you are. Someone once said, you are the average of your five close friends. Train with the best and you will become one of the best.
4. Eagles fly alone at very high altitudes. They set high standard for themselves.
#Living out on a very high standard separates you from the crowd. Normal is common and crowded.
5. Most eagles grab their preys without landing and take flight with them. That shows precision, focus and sheer determination. That’s expecting more from yourself.
#Great vision will make you seize opportunities before it is obvious to others.
6. Eagles don’t eat DEAD things (unlike vultures). They feed on living and fresh animals. That, again, requires unwaving commitment, dedication and discipline. What a great standard and value to live by! They are not interested in leftovers. They will hunt and sacrifice to get something fresh, not outdated or used! It will rather go hungry than feed on dead things.
#Don’t compromise your values, beliefs or standards in the face of challenging conditions.
7. Eagles train their ‘babies’ to fly in an unusual style. Mother eagles make the nest uncomfortable for the eaglets, and then drop them from the nest. As the eaglets fall, their mothers pick them up on their wings before they hit the ground. This training is repeated many times until the eaglets are able to take initiative and move their wings.
#Most of challenges you have been through or will go through is all training to discover what you have and who you are. Even though Eagles are born to be eagles, they still need to learn to live like eagles.
8. When it’s raining, most birds head for a shelter. The eagle is the only bird that, in order to avoid the rain, starts flying above the cloud. Wikipedia
#In life, don’t run away from issues and challenges. You will never be free from what you don’t confront.
9. When eagles reach their 40s, their long and flexible talons can no longer catch prey as usual. Their long and sharp beaks become bent. They have two options – to die or go through a painful process of change that will last 150 days. National Geographic
#Learn to reassess yourself and be sensitive to what has stopped working. Change is inevitable in life. Change is a great ingredient for progress.
10. The change process requires the eagle to fly to a mountain top and sit on its nest.
#Some change processes in life require your full attention, and you may need to be alone for some time to fully complete the change cycle.
11. In the change process, the eagle also knocks its beak against a rock until it plucks it out. It then waits for the new beak to grow back. After that, it plucks out its talons. When new talons grow back, the eagle starts plucking its old feathers. The process is personal and painful.
#No one will make changes for you. It’s a personal cross you have to bear to go through the process.
12. After the 150 days of change has been completed, the eagle takes its famous flight of rebirth and lives for 30 more years.
#There is always a new lease of life granted after a thorough change process. Your change is for renewal, refocusing and reinvention.
