Eagles fly alone at a high altitude and not with sparrows; they do not mix with other smaller birds. Birds of a feather flock together. No other bird goes to the height of the eagle. Eagles fly with eagles. Never in a flock. Even when Moses went to commune with God on the mountain, he left the crowd at the foothills.
Stay away from sparrows and ravens. Eagles fly with eagles.
2.
Eagles have strong vision, which focuses up to 5 kilometers from the air. When an eagle sites his prey, even a rodent from this distance, he narrows his focus on it and sets out to get it. No matter the obstacle, the eagle will not move his focus from the prey until he grabs it.
Have a vision and remain focused no matter what the obstacle and you will succeed.
3.
Eagles do not eat dead things. They feed on fresh prey. Vultures eat dead animals but not eagles.
Steer clear of outdated and old information. Do your research well always.
4.
The Eagle is the only bird that loves the storm. When clouds gather, the eagle gets excited. He uses the wings of the storm to rise and is pushed up higher. Once he finds the wing of the storm, he stops flapping and uses the pressure of the raging storm to soar the clouds and glide. This gives the eagle an opportunity to rest its wings! In the meantime all the other birds hide in the leaves and branches of the trees.
Use the storms of your life (obstacles, trouble etc) to rise to greater heights. Achievers relish challenges and use them profitably.
5.
The Eagle tests before it trusts. When a female eagle meets a male and they want to mate, she flies down to earth with the male pursing her and she picks a twig. She flies back into the air with the male pursuing her. Once she has reached a height high enough for her, she lets the twig fall to the ground and watches it as it falls. The male chases after the twig. The faster it falls, the faster he chases until he reaches it and has to catch it before it falls to the ground, then bring it back to the female eagle.
The female eagle grabs the twig and flies to a much higher altitude pursued by the male until she perceives it high enough, and then drops the twig for the male to chase. This goes on for hours, with the height increasing until the female eagle is assured that the male eagle has mastered the art of picking the twig which shows commitment, then and only then, will she allow him to mate with her!
Whether in private life or in business, one should test commitment of people intended for partnership.
6.
Eagles prepare for training. When about to lay eggs, the female and male eagle identify a place very high on a cliff where no predators can reach; the male flies to earth and picks thorns and lays them on the crevice of the cliff, then flies to earth again to collect twigs which he lays in the intended nest. He flies back to earth picks thorns and lays them on top of the twigs.
He flies back to earth and picks soft grass to cover the thorns, and then flies back to pick rugs to put on the grass. When this first layering is complete the male eagle runs back to earth and picks more thorns, lays them on the nest; runs back to get grass and rugs and lays them on top of the thorns, then plucks his feathers to complete the nest.
The thorns on the outside of the nest protect it from possible intruders. Both male and female eagles participate in raising the eagle family. She lays the eggs and protects them; he builds the nest and hunts. During the time of training the young ones to fly, the mother eagle throws the eaglets out of the nest and because they are scared, they jump into the nest again. Next, she throws them out and then takes off the soft layers of the nest, leaving the thorns bare. When the scared eaglets jump into the nest again, they are pricked by thorns. Shrieking and bleeding they jump out again this time wondering why the mother and father who love them so much are torturing them.
Next, mother eagle pushes them off the cliff into the air. As they shriek in fear, father eagle flies out and picks them up on his back before they fall, and brings them back to the cliff. This goes on for sometime until they start flapping their wings. They get excited at this newfound knowledge that they can fly and not fall at such a fast rate. The father and mother eagle supports them with their wings. The preparation of the nest teaches us to prepare for changes; The preparation for the family teaches us that active participation of both partners leads to success; The being pricked by the thorns tells us that sometimes being too comfortable where we are may result into our not experiencing life, not progressing and not learning at all.
We may not know it but the seemingly comfortable and safe haven may have thorns. The people who love us do not let us languish in sloth but push us hard to grow and prosper. Even in their seemingly bad actions they have good intentions for us.
7.
When the Eagle grows old, his feathers become weak and cannot take him as fast as he should. When he feels weak and about to die, he retires to a place far away in the rocks. While there, he plucks out every feather on his body until! he is completely bare. He stays in this hiding place until he has grown new feathers, then he can come out.
We occasionally need to shed off old habits and items that burden us without adding to our lives...
Dr Myles Munroe (edited)
Dr Myles Munroe is the Founder, President, and Senior Pastor of Bahamas Faith Ministries International, an all-encompassing network of ministries headquartered in Nassau, Bahamas. He is a multi-gifted international motivational speaker, best selling author and business consultant addressing critical issues affecting every aspect of human, social and spiritual development.
How do we nurture responsibility in teenagers?
Sunday, 22 February 2009 22:15
Faced with an ever-changing society and the fact that our youth are influenced more and more by forces that are outside of the home and school. This is the first in a series of articles about the challenges of developing and nurturing young people of good character who can grow up to become responsible and positive individuals.
As parents/guardians, we want our children to grow up to be happy, successful and responsible adults. If we believe the negative reports about young people in the media, we may wonder what the chances are. You may have concerns about your own children lagging in school, getting into trouble or clashing with family. Maybe you see history repeating itself in some ways: young people wasting time and opportunities as they learn painful life lessons and progress to adulthood.
Successfully making the transition from childhood towards independence requires young people to take responsibility for themselves and their actions. In the past, this was usually a matter of unguided experimentation. You may recall your own parents and teachers demanding respect and responsibility, perhaps imposing it by means of threats and punishment (probably with limited success). In time, by trial and especially error, and by learning from peers, some sense of responsibility emerges.
Today, nurturing a sense of responsibility in young people should never be left to chance. Teaching responsibility - for self and others - is a life skill that can be taught in a structured way, just like maths and English. If you have the right tools. From an early age young people can learn constructive responses to challenges in a way that empowers them to be able to realistically evaluate risk, anticipate the effects of their behaviour and plan ahead.
Young people who have mastered responsibility will have a greater sense of being able to direct their own lives. That in turn frees them to consider the needs and feelings of others, as they discover how their actions really do matter and make a difference in society.
It's especially hard to convey to young people that their own choices (such as whether to work hard to achieve at school) can have long-term consequences. It can even be tough to educate young people about the short-term effects of irresponsible behaviour. They may respect peer values and attitudes more than the hard-won experience of their parents, which may seem to emanate from another world.
The Seven Principles of RESPECTisms is a resource for parents that recognises that developing responsibility takes place in the context of young people's own experiences, perceptions and values, rather than those of the older generation. It uses stories and scenarios that young people recognise and relate to. That encourages them to use imagination to visualise their options and anticipate the effects of their behaviour. One young reader said "It has changed my outlook on life, making me think about the choices I make and how I view situations". A teenager summed up The Seven Principles of RESPECTisms as follows: "The stories…couldn't relate more to my life as a young person".
Stories and drama pack a punch because all audiences, irrespective of their educational level, identify emotionally with characters and events and internalise the messages. We've all read books or seen films that we feel have truly changed us. There are few more effective ways to teach crucial life lessons.
The story of Robert relates his life journey. He learns that being responsible can save him (and others) from a whole lot of trouble. He discovers that the consequences of messing up are not an unfair punishment meted out by a hostile world. The power to smooth his passage in life was within his grasp, but he had not yet learned how and why to use it.
Parents can use The Seven Principles of RESPECTisms to grow a sense of responsibility in their children and as a behaviour management tool. As a corrective measure, it can help young people understand how they have set themselves up for negative outcomes. It helps provide skills for young people to protect themselves from such consequences in the future and to take command of their lives. With greater awareness of how their decisions and actions matter, and affect others, young people find that their relationships with family and friends are greatly enhanced.
Parents, teachers and, most importantly, young people themselves are enthusiastic about the effectiveness of this approach and The Seven Principles of RESPECTisms, which includes reading and audio materials as well as fun workbooks.
Working with parents and schools, The Seven Principles of RESPECTisms strives to develop a generation of young people of good character who will become responsible and positive individuals. They can take the free online Character Profile Questionnaire at www.respectisms.com/characterquestions.htm to evaluate their skills and progress so far.
Ken Barnes Motivational Speaker, Author, Mentor, Trainer & Coach Author of The Seven Principles of RESPECTisms & The iFactor
Based on the highly acclaimed and inspiring book, 'The Seven Principles of RESPECTisms' are a set of timely principles that collectively form a powerful course of action for change through positive character development and successful living. It redefines the word 'respect' by turning it into a positive acronym that exemplifies seven easy-to-remember principles: Responsibility, Education, Say No, Peers, Expectations, Consequences and Time. The Seven Principles of RESPECTisms are a powerful set of principles that encourages positive behaviour change in young people. The principles of RESPECTisms can play a major part in developing young people's knowledge, understanding and values in life. For more information visit Respectisms.
Last Updated on Sunday, 22 February 2009 22:22
Words of Wisdom - Parable 1
Wednesday, 18 February 2009 12:47
Parable 1 - Feb 2009
Two children are playing in a sandpit. One is standing up, putting the finishing touches on a sandcastle that is almost as tall as herself. The other is sitting down in the sand, from where she sits she can not see the top of the castle, all she sees is the bottom half of the castle, which looks like a solid mound of sand and so she thinks the other girl is stupid and starts to throw sand at her.
Every time she picks up a handful of sand and throws it at the standing girl, a little hit’s the hem of the girls skirt and fall on her shoes but a lot of it blows back in the sitting girls face, in her hair, down her sleeves, in her eyes and makes her angry. She continues to throw sand, taunting “look at how stupid you are, standing next to that mound while I throw sand at you, look you have sand all over your skirt and on your shoes“, all the while she is being covered by more sand, until her clothing is ruined.
The standing girl, having completed her work of beauty, simply steps outside the sandbox, brushes off her skirt, taps her shoes on the side of the box, which removes the remaining sand and walks away satisfied with her creation.
The sitting child is left covered in sand, eyes burning as she sees for the first time the exquisite palace made of sand and wanders how it got there.
Sometimes in life we play as children, pointing out the sand on the other childs clothes and not realising we are covered in it and its getting worse. All the while the other children continue to build and then they walk away. Only then do we notice we are covered in sand with nothing else to show for our time.
Make of it what you will, this all just came to me and it is what it is, you either get it or you don‘t and either is fine :-)
How’s that castle coming along? Or can you not see it because your eyes are burning?
Sofia Bailey
Sophia Bailey is a professional inspirational speaker that also offers intuitive holistic coaching to help you understand past life patterns and release your inner truth.
Last Updated on Wednesday, 18 February 2009 12:59
Lord, Why Did You Make Me Black?
Lord, Lord, Why did You make me Black? Why did You make me someone The world wants to hold back?
Black is the color of dirty clothes; The color of grimy hands and feet. Black is the color of darkness; The color of tire-beaten streets.
Why did you give me thick lips, A broad nose and kinky hair? Why did You make me someone Who receives the hatred stare?
Black is the color of a bruised eye When somebody gets hurt. Black is the color of darkness. Black is the color of dirt. How come my bone structure's so thick; my hips and cheeks are high? How come my eyes are brown and not the color of the daylight sky?
Why do people think I'm useless? How come I feel so used? Why do some people see my skin and think I should be abused?
Lord, I just don't understand; What is it about my skin? Why do some people want to hate me And not know the person within?
Black is what people are "listed", When others want to keep them away. Black is the color of shadows cast. Black is the end of the day.
Lord, You know, my own people mistreat me; And I know this just isn't right. They don't like my hair or the way I look They say I'm too dark or too light.
Lord, Don't You think it's time For You to make a change? Why don't You re-do creation And make everyone the same?
(God answered:)
Why did I make you black? Why did I make you black?
Get off your knees and look around. Tell Me, what do you see? I didn't make you in the image of darkness. I made you in the Likeness of ME!
I made you the color of coal From which beautiful diamonds are formed. I made you the color of oil, The black-gold that keeps people warm.
I made you from the rich, dark earth That can grow the food you need. Your color's the same as the panther's Known for (HER) beauty and speed.
Your color's the same as the Black stallion, A majestic animal is he. I didn't make you in the Image of darkness I made you in the Likeness of Me!
All the colors of a Heavenly Rainbow Can be found throughout every nation; And when all those colors were blended well, YOU BECAME MY GREATEST CREATION.
Your hair is the texture of lamb's wool Such a humble, little creature is he. I am the Shepherd who watches them. I am the One who will watch over thee.
You are the color of midnight-sky, I put the stars' glitter in your eyes. There's a smile hidden behind your pain That's the reason your cheeks are high.
You are the color of dark clouds formed when I send My strongest weather. I made your lips full so when you kiss the one you love they will remember.
Your stature is strong; your bone structure, thick to withstand the burdens of time. The reflection you see in the mirror... The Image looking back at you is MINE!
- RuNett Nia Ebo
Last Updated on Wednesday, 18 February 2009 12:47
Our Deepest Fear
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
by Marianne Williamson (A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles) This quote, and especially the last sentence, is often incorrectly credited to Nelson Mandela from his 1994 Inauguration Speech.
