The Lost Eagle - The Value of Self Confidence & Self Belief

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Finding My Beautiful-A Journey To Self Esteem,Self Respect & Forgiveness.

The lily pad held on lovingly to the egg. It was a beautiful unexpected gift from the gods. To protect it, the lily pad unhooked its roots from the muddy bottom of the river, and leaving its comfort zone, began to float downstream with the egg. Along the way the lily pad picked up grass and dead leaves to cover the egg, keeping it warm and alive. For days, lily pad and egg floated peacefully, the water providing both sanctuary and transport.

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Alas, a farm came into view. Down in a valley, just before the point where the river morphed into a powerful waterfall, nestled the dainty farm. Knowing well that it would be near impossible to tumble down the waterfall safely with an egg in tow, lily pad inched toward the bank of the river and rolled the egg down the valley, toward the farm. “I hope yo make it. And I pray you find a family that will love you and raise you right.” The Lily pad called after the egg as it rolled away.

The Value Of Self Confidence

The two eggs hatched successfully in Royal’s nest. The hatchlings were healthy and ravenous. And Royal, a ferocious, successful hunter became twice as much in performance. She fished in the river, snatched up rodents, preyed on other birds, and tangoed with snakes, all in an effort to feed her eaglets.

The chicks grew in stature and strength. Their mother taught them to build self esteem, to believe in themselves, and to guard their mental health.

Read Also: Finding My Beautiful – A Journey To Self Esteem, Self Respect And Forgiveness

She would always say to them, ” you are eagles, kings and queens of the air, and you need only be the best. You are not social birds, so learn to love yourself. Love who you are so you can enjoy your own company.”

Life Is Struggle, And Struggle Builds Character

She also taught them stress management, “learn to clear your head and your thoughts. The forest is a dangerous place, and you don’t have the luxury of distraction, so learn to process your emotions and feelings, and deal with them.”

In time, the eaglets became carbon copies of their mother. They mirrored her physical appearance as well as her self confidence and self belief. When they fledged, Royal allowed them a few days to practice flying by hopping from their nest to nearby branches and spreading their wings. When she was sure they were ready, she took them to the highest branch on the iroko tree and then kicked them into the air, one after another.

The Product Of Self Belief and Self Confidence

The young birds flailed and flapped their wings, crying for their mother. Royal wasn’t too quick to go to their aid, until she would sure they would crash and die. Then and only then did she swoop in to save them. This went on for days until the eaglets learned to fly.

Then Royal taught them to hunt. Drawing on the numerous lessons of self esteem, self confidence, self belief and social and emotional skills, she took them with her on hunting expeditions. They learned how to fish, and how to perceive and hunt rodents. She also taught them how to catch snakes, one of their arch nemesis.

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Royal named her offsprings Reign and Supreme. Reign and Supreme soared in the skies, self confidently repeating their mother’s mantra, ” heeee-aaaah. Remind yourself about yourself.”

You Become What You Believe

After parting ways with the lily pad, the egg, rolled into an open field on the farm where the farmer fed his poultry. An old turkey found it first, “hey duck is this one of your eggs?” The duck took a careful look and said, ” nope. This looks nothing like an egg I would lay, my eggs are much prettier.”

“Hey guinea fowl, is this yours?” turkey called after the guinea fowl.
“Nah. Breeding is over for this old soul.The soup pot is my next destination.” Guinea fowl replied.
“Chicken is brooding. Take it to her, even if it isn’t one of hers, I bet she would take it and care for it.” Duck suggested.

They took the egg to chicken, it wasn’t one of hers but true to duck’s words, she accepted it.
Before long, the eggs hatched, including the strange one. Strange chick looked distinctively different from its mother and siblings, but that did not deter chicken from loving it any less.

Chicken taught her biological and adopted chicks to peck the grains the farmer gave them. She also taught them how scratch the ground in search for worms and termites. When her strange chick had challenges because of her curved beak, chicken lovingly encouraged it, patiently teaching it the techniques it needed to survive on the farm.

Whenever mother chicken found her strange chick exhibiting foreign and socially unacceptable behaviors, like tearing at the flesh of carcasses, she lovingly but firmly scolded it. With time, strange chick became a bonafide chicken, it even learned to cluck.

Eagle Becomes Chicken

As the chicks grew, everyone became increasingly aware of strange chick’s obvious differences. But determined to make all her chicks feel safe and welcome, the hen insisted strange chick was indeed chicken.

“Look at these claws mama, they were made for more that scratching dirt. And this beak is made of more than eating grain. See my wings, I feel I can fly, I can soar high up into the clouds. I am made for something more than this life, teach me how to be my true self.” A restless strange chick would beg of her mother.

“Child, you are chicken. And this is your life. You cannot be anymore than what you are. Now run along and find something to eat before dark.” Mother chicken would always answer.

The strange chick believed and resigned itself to the life of a chicken. It learned to tame the instinct to spread its wings and fly, and it killed the urge to tear and swallow chunks of flesh. For years it lived the uneventful life of a chicken.

Return To Yourself And Build Self Esteem

One fine morning, Guinea fowl chanced on the strange chick, it was wistfully watching some birds circle the skies. “You really believe you can fly huh, son?” Guinea fowl asked.

“No. I am only a chicken and chicken don’t fly.”
“Go look at your reflection in the drinking trough. Look very well and very hard and come back and tell me you’re chicken.”
Strange chick obeyed. And when it came back to guinea fowl it said, “I don’t think I’m chicken, I actually look like those birds up there.”
“That’s because you’re an eagle.And eagles fly!” Guinea fowl responded.
“But mom said…”
“Your mom only knows how to be chicken.”
“So what do I do?” asked the confused younger bird.
“You need a self confidence builder. Acknowledge that you’re something more than what you’ve been told you are, and take steps to actively become who you really are. Start by building confidence in who you are.”

Believe in Who You Are

Strange chicken and guinea fowl formed a bond, and the older bird taught the younger bird how to fly to the best of his abilities as a guinea fowl. As it built more confidence in itself, the eagle taught itself to fish, to soar above the clouds and to hunt rodents.

The eagle finally said goodbye to mother chicken, and headed back to Atiwa. And in that moment, when the young eagle made that bold decision, its life came full circle.

The morale of the story is you become who you believe you are. The hand life deals you may be beyond your control, but what you do with it along the way is your responsibility and yours alone.

So start today, and build the know how and skills you need to become who and what you know yourself to be. Build confidence in yourself and your capabilities, and if you feel you’ve been dealt a poor hand, actively find ways to play your poor hand well.