Risk and Opportunity: The Time to Take Flight
Don’t let your dreams be interrupted because of the fears of others, not even those of your own family. Doing so will hurt you and your relationships. Listen to advice, but think of it only as guidance and not as an imposition. He who wants roses must learn to walk through thorns, as the old adage goes.
You must aspire to fly high, and realize that you will never find all the conditions of life in your favor; there will always be more than one “but.” Nevertheless, part of the game of life is to be persistent and to see clearly the end goals we want to achieve.
Maharat had turned 22 years old, and dreamed of traveling and exploring far-off countries. His mother, wanting to protect him, tried to drown out his desires with every imaginable argument and manipulation, and succeeded in paralyzing his longing to leave. The young man lived in constant frustration, for he loved his mother but found himself constrained by her judgement and customs. One day, overwhelmed by doubts and worries, he decided to climb a mountain to reflect on the chains of family that were torturing him. There on the mountain he began to feel tired, so he closed his eyes, and a strange scene began to play in his mind:
A bird, similar to a hen, that clearly did not possess the gift of flight, was sitting on an egg, an egg that belonged to a different bird, that she had found in her nest.
The chick hatched, and after a while, it asked its mother, “When will I fly?” She responded, “ Why do you want to fly? Don’t you see how well we live here? Besides, if you fly away, I won’t be able to take care of you, and beyond these lands there are many unknown dangers.”
When Maharat awoke, he felt bewildered but strangely relieved. As he walked down the mountain, he heard the music of a lute and the words of a happy song which said:
“If you want to live like the eagle, do not live among the sparrows.”
-Flight of the Eagles-
It is not a secret to anyone that life is not easy, and that there are many moments in which we must make decisions that involve risks and sacrifices, either to achieve individual happiness or for the sake of a cause.
The problem is, life never lets us know when the right time or the right moment is. Often, the best opportunities present themselves in the most unexpected moments. It is of vital importance to know how to identify these opportunities and take full advantage of them, because you never know if or when they may present themselves again. Without a doubt, the opportunity you missed today could be the biggest regret of tomorrow.
While it’s important to listen to the advice of others, ultimately it’s your responsibility to make your own decisions.
No one can make progress in life without taking risks. Almost always, something must be lost in order for something else to be gained. The best thing to do in these situations is to see the sacrifices and moments of doubt as an investment, not as a loss. Just as you must use your good judgment to compare and consider the variables of your life, the same must be done for your happiness.
The slogan: always take risks with good judgement and prudence. It is not about losing everything all at once, nor is it about winning everything in one try. It is simply about growing, as a person and human being, little by little, day after day.
Letting things go is difficult, but necessary. If you want to be successful in your life, keep in mind the message of “Flight of the Eagles,” and those on the same path will support you. We never stop learning, and nobody can know everything.
Image courtesy of Flying High