I was sitting there, watching them sit there.
My brain was ‘in neutral’ when a thought crossed my mind, Man, the life of a bird…doing nothing all day long. Slow speed. I wonder what that’s like?
At one time or another we all question where we are, where we’ve been, where we are headed, what we’re doing. Then, we throw in a few ‘what ifs’ about what could be, life at a different speed than what it currently is, and we ponder.
I have a friend that couldn’t wait to retire at a relatively young age. When he finally did it, he couldn’t stand the slow change of pace so he went back to work full time. Another friend told me recently that he had retired 3 times before finally withdrawing from the rigors of an everyday job.
So, I sat there in front of those birds thinking about all of this when another pelican came into view.
This one pelican was circling and diving into the water right by where the other pelicans were comfortably sitting. I had seen small fish kicking up water here and there and the flying pelican was targeting them. I quickly got out of the car and was able to catch the picture below,
Of course, who knows why birds behave the way they do and I don’t know a Pelican Whisperer to ask, so I figured that the one bird was hungry while the others weren’t. Maybe the sitting birds thought that diving for fish at that time of the day was too much work. Or, maybe that lunging bird was young and energetic while the others were not… by now you may be saying to yourself, “Get to the point, will ya?” Ok, here we go,
Question: Which pelican speed do you identify yourself with at the present? Are you in a go-getter, full throttle mode? Or, are you the slow as you go kind of person? Maybe your approach to life depends on what’s demanded from you.
The Bible tells us that when David was on the run from king Saul, men from various places joined him and pledged allegiance to him. A sharp thinking group of those guys is described as follows,
“The sons of Issachar…understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do” 1Chronicles 12:32 NASB
In other words, they were wise and knew how to live in light of what was happening at the time.
Here are a few ideas to help you understand the ideal speed for your life right now.
First, recognize which season of life you’re in. Young and energetic people are willing to take risks while those at a different age bracket may choose to play it safe. Be honest with yourself about your life-stage.
Please understand, youthfulness doesn’t not mean more productivity. I read recently that the 50’s are the most productive years of life. Take notice of where you are and proceed accordingly.
Second, regardless of age, pace yourself!
Michael Hyatt wrote a blog recently called, How To Master the Essential Discipline of Stillness, where he described the value of taking 15 minutes a day to do absolutely nothing (talk about slowing down). He described those 15 minutes of nothing as one of the most transformational things he’s ever done, moments when you get to reconnect with yourself and gain perspective about life as you know it.
Sounds like 15 minutes of doing absolutely nothing could mean absolutely everything!
Third, think, What am I really passionate about? The answer to that question can determine your aim and strategy in pursuing what drives you. Eating fish was that diving pelican’s motivation.
Finally, make inventory of the positives you have going for you and what you can do with them. These could include a number of things we tend to take for granted: time, health, opportunities, resources, talents, etc. You may want to write them down because we tend to remember what’s bad in our lives rather than what’s good.
I’m sure that diving pelican joined the gang of sitting pelicans after a while. But for those moments that I was there that long nosed bird knew one speed, forward!
What’s your speed?
Thanks for reading. Please leave me a comment.
Awesome photo, Jorge! You caught that dude (or dude-ette) just as it was hitting the water! Your blog reminds me of something that was taught in the Experiencing God study. We have all heard the line “Don’t just stand there, do something!”, but this study teaches us to take time to reflect on God and your life by saying: “Don’t just do something, stand there!”
Pacing yourself in your life is excellent advice. I’m 63. There are still a lot of things I would like to do, (bucket list), but I’m realistic about getting some of them accomplished. That’s OK, because the life I have right now is pretty good. I belong to God’s family, I have a loving family at home, and I have wonderful friends!
I don’t feel old, but my body tells me something different! LOL!
My speed is ‘slow and steady’ and that’s just fine! I don’t need to go bungee jumping or sky-diving. I’ll leave those things to the ‘young-uns!
Great thinking Jim, ‘don’t just do something, stand there’; I’m with you on the slow and steady but there are still times I want to be like that crazy pelican going straight in! Being realistic is key. Thanks for helping me think straight!!
Pastor, Great illustration, and I really needed this posting. Some days it can really be tough to stand still. Loved your pic, great catch for Mr. Pelican, good question and food for thought about Pelican speed and identifying ones self. God Bless
Thank you Pat!