If the ducklings can….

Hi everyone

Reclining in the dentist chair at one of my regular hygiene sessions recently, I was fascinated by a nature video playing on the TV overhead. (such a neat trick to distract twitchy clients with soothing vids) This one was about wood ducks, yes indeed, riveting stuff folks, but when you’re trying hard not to think about the drone of the drill, anything even slightly interesting will do!

The video showed a curious phenomenon in the life of these ducks. When they are barely a day old, the ducklings leap from their nests which are high up in trees to reach the ground or water below. We’re talking about kamikaze style dives from trees that are often a few storeys high – it’s nerve-wracking to watch.

I marvelled at their instinctive bravery taking that leap of faith, not knowing if they would perish when they landed.

Deep inside each wee duckling is the drive to become what they are meant to be, to reach their mum, the water, food and the rest of the gang. To do so, they have to jump from the nest otherwise all the good things stay out of reach.

As the ducklings are such lightweights, they merely bounce on contact with the ground. Some of the little blighters land sideways, on their heads and some jump with one or two of their brothers and sisters. What they don’t do is sit in the nest thinking, I’ll wait this one out dudes, catch you later or …it’s much safer to stay here and chill.

Leaps of faith into the unknown are scary and potentially risky but to reach the good things we want, sometimes we have to make them. We have to trust in ourselves that it will work out and we’ll land unscathed or only slightly bruised. Of course there’s no real harm staying where you are, it’s all good there right now isn’t it? What’s wrong with that?

Yes, you may feel comfortable and safe but to grow and reach your potential you can’t stay put, you have to make a leap from time to time.

If the ducklings can, then so can you! If you want something in life, it’s usually a leap of faith that will get you there, so be brave and confident. Do your research, make your plans, prepare well …then jump, it’s the only way to see if it’s worth it.

Take care and be kind to each other

Janine

P.S. No ducklings were harmed in the writing of this post…