Do You Ever Feel Like The Hummingbird?

Marlene was outside on the deck last week, and she caught this amazing shot.

After I saw the image, I couldn’t help but think about some of the different Kung-Fu scenes from the old movies that I grew up on.  I remember quotes like, “My eagle style can defeat your snake!  Oh, yeah! Show me!”

Those old movies are packed with solid Kung-Fu and solid life lessons (from time-to-time).  One of the lessons that I try to impart upon our students is that, when the time comes to defend yourself, you need to do so with confidence.  (I’ve seen a video of a Chihuahua who went after a lion.  The lion was encroaching upon the Chihuahua, and instead of cowering in fear, the Chihuahua attacked!  Could the lion have destroyed that chihuahua?  Yup.  Did the chihuahua care? Nope.  The chihuahua chose offense as his defense and attacked so strongly that the lion ran off… with the chihuahua still chasing after him! 

Now, back to the Hummingbird vs Woodpecker picture.  Clearly the woodpecker is being assertive in this picture, and the hummingbird is weighing her options.  

In life, as in this picture, there are times to fight, and there are times to just “fly away.”  knowing when you should fight, and knowing when you should flee… takes wisdom and humility.  

For most people, there are very few times that we will find ourselves in a position where defending ourselves is necessary.  Most of the time, you should just walk away from a scenario that could get physical.  But, if you do find yourself in a bad situation, and walking away is not feasible, can you defend yourself against an attacker who is bigger and stronger?  

If you have to defend yourself, then, just like the chihuahua I mentioned, one of the lessons you should take with you is this, “When it’s time to fight; fight.”  Fight with everything you have and with more heart than the person attacking you. Fight with the understanding that giving up is not an option.  

Nobody wins in a fight, and I don’t advocate that people fight.  But, if you have to defend yourself, then realize that the internal battle is an important one, and it’s one you need to win with yourself beforehand.  If you know how to defend yourself, then it’s easier to win that internal battle, and you can more adeptly take on the woodpeckers of life.