Written by Why do you see eagles and not pigeons on currency? Eagles represent strength, bravery, and responsibility. Pigeons, on the other hand, represent a total lack of all three elements. Pigeons are content with living on scraps. Simply adhering to the philosophy of “making it work.” Eagles embody worthy qualities. They are noble in their beliefs. They refuse to cater to a “make it work” mentality. Eagles believe they deserve to be at a higher point and are willing to do what it takes to get there.
Mentality is why you don’t see a pigeon on any currency. Let’s keep it real: Pigeons have fun, but eagles carry responsibility, and that is the difference among humans as well. Some want to have fun, and others are willing to accept responsibility. That is not to say responsible people never have fun. It’s to say that responsibility is the currency paid for earning real fun.
Eagles can fly as high as 20,000 feet in the air. Pigeons can reach 6000. The thinner air and more difficult actions are one reason why they prefer low-level altitudes. Humans who act like pigeons actually have a talent. With their low-level thinking, they can lead others to believe that hunting for scraps is beneficial to survival. Human pigeons allow people who want to soar to think that staying low is practical. They participate practically. They justify it by participating in activities that imitate soaring and flying high.
Groupon-type fun is reserved for the pigeon. You are still having fun, but you are doing it on a low level. One pigeon I knew said. “I have learned to ball on a budget.” This is not to say that value is not beneficial, because it is. When value is the first thing you think about when you want to have fun, then you have the mindset and mentality of a pigeon.
Don’t Get Caught Thinking Like a Pigeon
The pigeon mentality leads people to believe you can have what you want without putting in the effort to get it. Pigeon thinking leads people to feel that others have a natural ability that most do not. Talent is only one aspect, but talent alone does not keep one superior. Talent that is not honed and constantly practiced upon quickly becomes a waste. Think about it, how many talented athletes and actors are only around for a few years and then they are forgotten, but the men and women who work on their craft and fight to become better, inevitably soar amongst the sky like eagles. Look at Jordan, Brady, Williams, Washington, and Gates as examples. They dominated their respective genres because they chose to cultivate their talent instead of resting on their laurels.
For them, being good enough was not good enough. Tom Brady studied hours of footage on his opponents to find the smallest weaknesses to exploit. Michael Jordan would shoot 1000 free throws per day. It took a grapefruit-sized cyst to dethrone Serena Williams from playing Tennis. Denzel Washington’s acting includes intense martial arts training in techniques like Eskrima/Arnis/Kali. Bill Gates stayed dedicated to his dream of putting a computer in every home.
People like these made active decisions to walk away from the crowded field of pigeons by honing their talents, constantly refining their skills, and staying open to learning. They realized that they could be extraordinary by working hard and ignoring the pigeons that told them they could not become.
Pigeons May Not Even Know That They Are Pigeons
Every human has this ability. God, the creator, or whatever you choose to call it, allowed every sentient being to hit the 400 trillion to one lottery of life. Based on that alone, we should all believe that we were born with the ability to reach our fullest potential.
Pigeons lack the desire to strive. They’ve allowed society to lead them to believe that reaching a certain goal and staying perched is equivalent to success. Some of the people we love and who love us will kill our dreams because they do not want to see us suffer. They may try to stir us towards a status quo and tell us things like “have a backup plan” or “stop dreaming and come back to reality.” Even in their good intentions, they are pigeons looking to bring you into their world rather than allowing you to fly high.
Some Pigeons Fear Your Flight
There are those “angry birds” out there that do not want to see your success. The main reason is that achieving your goal reminds them of their inability to continue their forward progress. Since they gave up, they want to pull you down. It is the typical crabs in a barrel syndrome.
Always be cautious of wolves in sheep’s clothing. People who seem to be your friends may have ulterior motives. This is not every person. In fact, there will be people who support your vision and applaud your efforts. Unfortunately, they are few and in between. When they are genuine, hold on to them. They are supportive lifelines. They will push you forward when you don’t think you have the energy to forge on.
You will discover the pigeons that fear you when they tell you that giving up on your goal is admirable, and you made a good attempt. They will revel in your failure instead of encouraging you to see that failing is the only true road to success. You must fail to get it right. Love him or hate him, Elon Musk’s Falcon rocket failed three times before it successfully docked with the space station. He was pecked by many pigeons. He said this in an interview, “No, I don’t ever give up. I’d have to be dead or completely incapacitated.” His words are not from the mindset of a pigeon.
Never Quit
One must first break free from the clutches of pigeons before they can soar amongst the heavens. The mind must embrace failure as a component of learning, not an invitation to give in. The shift in mentality allows one to pry away from the grip of the pigeon. It is going to hurt emotionally. You may have discovered that the ones you thought would support you were really pigeons the entire time.
You may want to throw up your hands due to the challenging nature of your quest. Plus, there will be pigeons who relish your failure, but disguise it by offering you sympathy and encouraging you to quit. You think they are your friends, but real friends encourage you, not discourage you. True friends will not allow you to give up, because they know you can do it. They will be your strength when you don’t have enough.
Whatever you do, remember that you have come too far to go back. Take an eagle’s approach: when the air gets thin and the wind blows hard, an eagle flies higher. You are not supposed to spend your life pecking at scraps; leave that to the pigeons. When things get tough, pigeons quit and encourage others to follow. Don’t listen. Walk your own path. Take flight. Be the eagle you are supposed to be.