This week’s message comes from my brother, Austin!
Bird feeders and seed are great ways to attract animals. You can lure them to your home just to snatch a sight of animals that seem to be so often hidden. Recently, I was doing just that. The seed was in place and I was standing at the back window, waiting for a deer or creature even more mystical to arrive. With no luck, I decided to go outside and adventure the nearby wooded area instead. Plus, I wanted to practice my photography skills and the wind wasn’t whipping like the usual Illinois weather.
I took a few pictures of the squirrels at the feeder, messing with the settings to see how they changed the shot. After a few similar pictures, I moved on. The walk led me to a trail. Not more than a few steps in, there was a scuffle further up the path. At least four deer, including a buck, jolted off. Perfectly matching the color of the trees, mixed with the combo of my lacking new photography skills, I had no chance to snap a picture. But finally! Finally, I got to see a deer!
It might be a simple story, but why do I bring it up?
Some of you may have some thoughts at this point. When I had no luck, I went and took matters into my own hands. Not everything can be done for you. Sometimes you need to be willing to step outside and take the reins of your goals.
Notice how I said sometimes.
What about all of the times that you wait for the animals to come to the feeder? Doesn’t that work too? Well yes indeed. That’s the beauty of life. There is no “one way” to do things.
Searching for the animals, putting in extra time and effort to reach your goals, is one powerful way to move forward.
At the same time, sometimes moving forward means staying still. Sometimes your body needs to recover. Sometimes your goals take patience. In a lot of ways, patience can be tougher than the head-on attack of your goals.
So how do you know which road to take?
You may not. It can be scary to step outside, embrace conflict, put in the extra hours, and pour yourself into your dreams. It can also be scary to wait, trust others, and put your faith in things other than yourself. Maybe you mess up the first time. Maybe you mess up the first several times.
But maybe… maybe you get the hang of it. Maybe you learn when to be ambitious and when to be patient. I challenge you to see both sides of the equation as well as find what works best for you.
Practice isn’t perfect, but practice builds your overall perspective. No one got everything right on the first try. Your next step is now.
Step out of your comfort zone and find a way to reconnect with nature.
-Grab life by the antlers, but know when to admire the beauty-
Be love today,
Austin