You are a hero already
In my eyes at least
I wish that you could see
What I know to be true.
You’ve ventured far
And taken large leaps.
Now don’t stop there
You’ve got promises to keep
To fulfill your destiny
You must be strong
Just look deep within
And know it’s not long
Before you soar
High above it all
Now is the time
Don’t play small.
“A true hero isn’t measured by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his heart.” – Hercules
You Are A Hero Already
A fable is told about an eagle who thought he was a chicken. When the eagle was very small, he fell from the safety of his nest. A chicken farmer found the eagle, brought him to the farm, and raised him in a chicken coop among his many chickens. The eagle grew up doing what chickens do, living like a chicken, and believing he was a chicken.
A naturalist came to the chicken farm to see if what he had heard about an eagle acting like a chicken was really true. He knew that an eagle is king of the sky. He was surprised to see the eagle strutting around the chicken coop, pecking at the ground, and acting very much like a chicken. The farmer explained to the naturalist that this bird was no longer an eagle. He was now a chicken because he had been trained to be a chicken and he believed that he was a chicken.
The naturalist knew there was more to this great bird than his actions showed as he “pretended” to be a chicken. He was born an eagle and had the heart of an eagle, and nothing could change that. The man lifted the eagle onto the fence surrounding the chicken coop and said, “Eagle, thou art an eagle. Stretch forth thy wings and fly.” The eagle moved slightly, only to look at the man; then he glanced down at his home among the chickens in the chicken coop where he was comfortable. He jumped off the fence and continued doing what chickens do. The farmer was satisfied. “I told you it was a chicken,” he said.
The naturalist returned the next day and tried again to convince the farmer and the eagle that the eagle was born for something greater. He took the eagle to the top of the farmhouse and spoke to him: “Eagle, thou art an eagle. Thou dost belong to the sky and not to the earth. Stretch forth thy wings and fly.” The large bird looked at the man, then again down into the chicken coop. He jumped from the man’s arm onto the roof of the farmhouse.
Knowing what eagles are really about, the naturalist asked the farmer to let him try one more time. He would return the next day and prove that this bird was an eagle. The farmer, convinced otherwise, said, “It is a chicken.”
The naturalist returned the next morning to the chicken farm and took the eagle and the farmer some distance away to the foot of a high mountain. They could not see the farm nor the chicken coop from this new setting. The man held the eagle on his arm and pointed high into the sky where the bright sun was beckoning above. He spoke: “Eagle, thou art an eagle! Thou dost belong to the sky and not to the earth. Stretch forth thy wings and fly.” This time the eagle stared skyward into the bright sun, straightened his large body, and stretched his massive wings. His wings moved, slowly at first, then surely and powerfully. With the mighty screech of an eagle, he flew.
Today’s post is written for a young friend of mine, who needs to find the strength within himself to risk. To move out of the known into the unknown and in doing so let go and fly. I’ve often reminded him that he’s an eagle and shared with him this fable. Today, I’m sharing it with you, in case you too are struggling to see your own beauty and strength.
Faith in God is a big source of my strength.I think that when we have faith we can all fly high.
I loved both the poem and the fable. I hope that after reading this your young friend would find strength to step out of the comfort zone and fly high!
We are trapped by the familiar, especially when the familiar is a cage. It’s said, when a bird is caged all his life and someone opens the door, the bird will stay in the familiar cage, and this fable is a variation of that saying. This is a wonderful fable, and I note the eagle did not soar until someone had helped him understand his true nature, outside his familiar. May your young friend take your advice to heart.
Thank you, Corinne. The poem and the story touched my heart. Like the eagle, I have been questioning who I am and doubting my own power. I see that I am not alone, and that is good to know.
I have never heard this story but its a very powerful one as it has so many lessons especially for adults.. we often try to mould ourselves to fit in and suppress those qualities which make us stand out from the herd. How wrong that is..
Awesome!
Leaving one’s comfort zone is so tough and ardous; most of us get too scared of the change and the unknown to ever realise our full potential. Plus there are always people telling us why on earth would we wanna uspet the apple cart when the going is so good?
I pray the young person finds the strength to overcome it all to find out for him/her self what life has in store for them.
Very well written Corinne