What Do Sandpipers and Determination Have in Common?
Yesterday while standing on the edge of the sea I watched a flock of sandpipers doing what sandpipers do. I find them such an interesting bird. They peck in the sand for food and move in a group with the flow of the sea as it comes in and goes out. What I noticed yesterday while watching these scurrying little birds was that 10 or so of them only had one leg. Here’s where the determination comes in. All 10 of these little birds moved as quickly as their two-legged friends as the waves moved in and out and as my husband and I moved closer to them.
I wondered why they only had one foot – did they get attacked by a bigger bird? Seagulls can be kind of mean you know. Or, did a crab get a hold of them and pull it off with their snapper claws? Or, were they just born that way? Something I guess I will never really know unless I see a crab or seagull on the attack.
What I was amazed at by watching these little birds is that they never gave up, they never plopped themselves down on their little body in the sand and let themselves get tumbled around by the incoming wave. They never stopped pecking and moving to squawk about the unfairness of it all. I was surprised that they, when standing, stood strong as the wave water rolled over their one foot and kept pecking for food and when needing to move as to avoid the wave, they hopped their way to safety.
Why, you ask, am I writing to you as one of my very first blog posts about little birds? I am writing about this to show that with determination and perseverance you can and will be successful with your health and wellness goals. That with the mindset, “I can and will get to where I want to go,” you will get there.
Sometimes we get distracted by the “why me?” or the “oh, I’ll never reach my goal” thoughts. I’ve been there too, and I know those thoughts. But if we stay focused on the prize, the light at the end of the tunnel, the… well, you get the idea, we can persevere. I encourage you to assess your determination to be successful at reaching your goal, what ever that may be. Then I want you to think of the little sandpiper with one leg that is a strong, determined survivor. Take some of that determination for yourself and take your success one victory, one step, one foot, one leg at a time.
Here’s to your determination, your well-being and living a life you love! ~Amy