Many might wonder what is there to learn from birds…I for one love birds. They are delicate and always happy and always making music.
People always say they want to fly like a bird. It is even a superpower seen in movies. That would be lovely! Escaping the world around you in an instant and soaring to new heights.
Birds are both free and happy and this is why I decided to write this piece on the 4 unexpected yet powerful lessons to learn from them.
4 Unexpected Yet Powerful Lessons to Learn from Birds
1. Learn from Birds How to Be Vulnerable
Nobody likes to open themselves up to be hurt, to be seen by the world, to be judged.
This is private. The truth of who we are scares us.
Have you seen a bird raise its wings? Underneath their wings, there is fragile skin and bones able to be punctured or damaged easily.
Why would they lift these wings up? Because that’s the only way they can fly.
This is true for people too. Being protected and guarded of your soft parts makes it impossible to reach and grow. You can either spend all of your time putting walls up or you can reach beyond them so they don’t even matter.
You cannot reach for things if you’re holding your chest tight. You cannot soar to new heights without opening yourself to vulnerability.
2. Learn from Birds How to Be Generous
Have you seen a bird eating from a bird feeder near your home?
They thrash around the food and just as much of what they are eating is also on the ground. I used to be frustrated at this until I learned they did this so that other birds and animals on the ground could eat.
This way they are sharing the food with the community.
Just like birds, you must also share your gifts. Hiding and pretending there’s nothing there is just as selfish as keeping it all for yourself.
They are in you given by God, or the Universe, to be shared with everyone who touches you.
Spend your personal wealth!
3. Learn from Birds How to Be Sensitive
You can hardly tell when birds are sleeping. However, when they do, they lift one leg and tuck it underneath themselves.
Isn’t that strange?
I have not studied ornithology but I believe it is to make them more sensitive while sleeping to detect movements on their perch. They can detect any motion. They always want to be aware and sensitive to what’s going on around them, even when they are sleeping.
People also have a lot of things to be sensitive and aware of. However, it’s not all about ourselves and if we are sensitive to others, we can empathize with them, be responsive to their needs at the moment, and, most importantly be kind.
4. Learn from Birds How to Be Cheerful
Birds communicate by singing!
How happy is that?
As they go about their day, birds are constantly chirping and making music and they always sound like the happiest of animals; not barking or baying or honking. No matter their circumstance they always produce their songs.
Even birds in cages produce the most beautiful music.
We can learn from them; our circumstances may not always be perfect. Maybe we are frustrated with a job, a relationship, or just life in general. Maybe we feel stuck or unappreciated. Life isn’t going to be perfect 100% of the time. However, an imperfect life, which everyone has, is far easier to approach when your attitude is cheerful.
I love birds and I always will. I love them more when I think about what they are giving in order to be who they are.
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Jacquelyn H. Berry
Jacquelyn Ph.D. is a writer, cognitive scientist, and tech entrepreneur devoted to the study and practice of expertise. An advocate for augmented learning and a founding member of Artificial Intelligence for Africa, she has spoken before the United Nations. She recently traveled to Egypt as a Fulbright Scholar where she taught a class about achieving outstanding goals, which led her to write FIND YOUR CARROT. She is also an also an avid Tetris player, golfer, and birder, as well as a mother and beauty pageant competitor, currently holding the title of Mrs. Dutchess County, New York. Learn more about her at https://jacquelynhberry.com or on Facebook, nstagram, TikTok, YouTube at @jacquelynhberry.
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