Once upon a time, some Birds decided to go to Eagle School.
They spent three whole days being reminded that they are not just Birds, but Eaglets!
Most of the Eaglets had been living on the ground in Chicken Suits.
Those suits were drab, heavy, and safe. It felt good to take those Chicken Suits off for a while.
In Eagle School the Eaglets learned how to Think like Eagles.
The Teachers introduced them to Flight Techniques.
Some of the Eaglets were so amazed that they were (almost) scared by the power they have!
Then the Eagle Teachers kicked all the Eaglets out of the Nest and sent them back down into the wide world.
After all, Flying Practice has to be done starting from the ground, under the big blue sky.
One Eaglet named Chuck swooped straight from the Nest of Eagle School, down to the ground, where it was safe and familiar.
He figured he'd get around to practicing some of that Eagle stuff.
Soon.
Of course, there were lots of other birds on the grubby ground too, most dressed as chickens.
So Chuck put his drab feathered Chicken Suit back on. It was heavy.
It felt a little tight now across the wings, but he squeezed himself back into it.
A couple of times Chuck noticed that he was thinking like a Chicken again.
Then he would try to do some Eagle Thinking instead.
However, it was so much easier to do Chicken Thinking.
A couple of times, if he wasn't too busy, Chuck tried flapping his wings and lifted a little bit off the ground!
But then he would say to to himself,
"Am I doing it right, like in Eagle School?
This can't be the way!
Am I there yet?
Maybe there is another way to flap.
I'll do it later."
He fluttered back down to the dirt and went back to his scheduled daily pecking.
Occasionally Chuck looked up longingly at the sky and grumbled to himself,
"Why aren't I flying up there? I see Eagles!
I did three whole days of Eagle School.
Maybe I just can't do it.
Maybe I wasted my time at Eagle class."
Then he was distracted by another juicy bug.
Chuck was starting to let himself forget Eagle school.
However, Chuck's Chicken Suit is growing more tight and uncomfortable every day.
His wings are longing to spread.
He wants to Fly.
What should he do?
Another Eaglet, we'll call him Champ, was also tossed out of the Nest after those three days of Eagle School.
Back on the ground, no matter how tempting it was, Champ refused to put his Chicken Suit back on.
Whenever Champ caught himself doing Chicken Thinking, he caught it! He stopped it!
Whoa!
He did Eagle Thinking instead.
It was tough sometimes, but he kept at it, and had fun with it.
He made his Eagle Thoughts big and bright.
It got easier and easier.
Champ practiced his flapping every day. Sometimes those dumb birds in Chicken Suits got in his way, clucking, pecking, and scurrying in circles after each other. Champ sometimes felt the temptation to join the flock, but he resisted.
And every day Champ flew up a little higher.
He certainly didn't worry if his flapping Technique was perfect. It wasn't. Who cares!
If he lifted off a little, then that was progress! Whee!
If his feathers got ruffled, well, that's just part of Flight Practice!
One sunny day he made it up to a high branch. What a great view!
Another day he forgot himself, dozed off, and found himself in the dusty dirt, nose to a dead bug.
Champ just got up, brushed off his feathers, and took himself back into the air.
Sometimes a deceptively shiny bit of glitter would distract him but then he always went back to Eagle Thinking.
Champ loves the feeling of stretching his wings in the open air. He's starting to catch the updrafts!
Those Higher branches are beckoning to him. The wide sky is waiting for him.
One morning Champ remembered something that had puzzled him. Back at Eagle School, there weren't just Eaglets. There had been a lot of successful high-flying Eagles too.
Why? What do they get out of coming back?
Do those experienced Eagles know something he doesn't know?
Champ decides to follow their success strategy. He decides to come back to Eagle School and refine and deepen his understanding of Flight.
So, Eaglet, have you been doing Chuck or Champ?
if you've been doing Chuck so far, that's perfectly normal and not uncommon.
You're just running your default pattern.
It's an easy choice but it's not what you want, is it?
Choose to be a Champ.
Pick up the Eagle Hotline and call the Teachers.
They specialize in turning Chucks into Champs. It's what they spend most of their time on, believe it or not.
They were Chucks, too.
No matter what your question is, your Teachers have heard it before!
No matter what your experience with this Eagle stuff, your Teachers have suggestions for you.
What will it be like to come back to Flight School? It WILL be easier, deeper, and even better.
School fees are ridiculously cheap or free.
After all, those sleek successful high-flying smart Eagles do it.
As for you Champs, the Teachers also want to see you again.
Tell the Teachers your new tales of Flight, whether short or far!
They have a challenge for you: How high and far are you ready to go now?
-Janet MacDonald Kramer ©2010
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