We often remain anchored to familiar comforts out of fear, forgetting that true potential is unlocked only when we let go of what holds us safe and step into the unknown.
“Once, a king received two magnificent peregrine falcons as a gift from one of his vassal states. They were the most beautiful birds he had ever seen. Though the falcons were still quite young at the time, they were beautiful specimens groomed for keeping in his court specifically. The king called the head falconer and handed the two beautiful birds to be trained.
The falconer trained the birds for months. But one day the falconer informed the king that one of the falcons was flying and soaring high in the sky while the other has not moved from its branch since the day it had arrived.
“I’ve never come across a bird as stubborn as this before,” the trainer complained to the king. He went on to describe how the creature ignored, refused and stubbornly lashed out at his every attempt. “May be there is something wrong with this bird. It just won’t fly.” said the trainer.
The falconer was one of the best in the land, his talents widely lauded by all who knew him. So, the king decided to give the trainer some more time to make the bird fly.
Months passed but the falcon never moved from the branch. The king summoned all healers, sorcerers and other trainers from across the land to make the falcon fly. But none of them succeeded and the bird did not move from its perch.
One day, a farmer was passing by the palace and heard about the stubborn falcon who wouldn’t fly. He thought he would give a try to make the bird fly.
Having tried everything else, the king was desperate to make the bird fly, so he allowed the farmer attempt to make the bird fly.
The next morning, the king was thrilled to see the two magnificent birds soaring high in the sky from his balcony. He did not witness the farmer’s feat himself, so he had the farmer brought before him to answer to his questions.
“I would like to know your secret,” the King said. “Tell me, how did you achieve what the most highly trained, intuitive and wise men could not? How did you make the falcon fly?”
The farmer peered from beneath his brow. “It was actually quite simple, your highness. I just cut the branch on which the bird was perched.”
We all are made to fly. But at times we sit on to our branches, clinging to the things familiar to us and never attempting a change. The possibilities in the world are endless, but most of it remains undiscovered because we never attempt to go beyond our comfort zone. We conform to the familiar, the comfortable, and the mundane. We need to go outside our comfort zone, destroy the branch of fear we cling to and free ourselves to the glory of flight!”
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Image above: An India postage stamp on peregrine falcon (1992), courtesy https://indiapicks.com/
Note: The peregrine falcon is a widespread bird of prey found on every continent except Antarctica and is best known for its remarkable speed, reaching more than 200 mph (320 km/h) during a hunting dive, making it the fastest animal recorded. Its name comes from the Latin peregrinus, meaning “wanderer” or “traveller,” reflecting its long-distance migrations and wide-ranging movements. Peregrines feed mainly on other birds, which they often capture in mid-air, and are known for their ability to adapt to cities, where they nest on tall buildings and bridges. Their populations suffered severe declines in the 20th century because of the pesticide DDT, but recovered dramatically after DDT restrictions and intensive conservation efforts.
Image: A 1965 postage stamp from USSR on the peregrine falcon. Courtesy Wikimedia Commons