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Imagine an eagle trying to fly while
its legs are tied to a five hundred pound weight. No matter how hard it
flaps its wings, it can not leave the ground. Eagles are not meant to
carry burdens, and neither are you.
I once read an account of how someone captured a seabird using pebbles
and bread dough. The person put heavy pebbles inside wads of bread
dough, and then tossed them to a bird which swallowed them whole. The
bird’s weight progressively increased until it was too heavy to fly. It
would never soar again until it eliminated the pebbles. It lost its
ability to fly one mouthful at a time.
That is exactly the way negative thoughts keep me from soaring. I
ingest them one at a time until the burden grows so heavy that I can no
longer get off the ground. Negative thoughts keep me grounded until I
eliminate them.
Each negative thought weighs a psychological ton and carrying around a
load of negativity is an unbearable burden. God gave me the heart and
wings of an eagle. When I see an eagle in flight, I see my life as it
was meant to be. I will not allow myself to be grounded by the dead
weight of negativity and limitations. I will fly like an eagle.
Copyright © 2013
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I've never seen a timid eagle. It's not in their nature. When eagles
act, they act as if they cannot fail.
I want to be more like eagles. When I decide to move forward, I want to
move decisively.
Moving toward a goal in a tentative manner doesn't make sense. If I
want to pursue a goal, I must turn my back on doubt and act as if I
cannot fail.
When I set sail across the Pacific Ocean, I was committed. I had more
than three thousand miles of downwind sailing ahead, and it would
require twenty-one days to travel from the Galapagos Islands to French
Polynesia. Once I got underway, there was no turning back.
My modus operandi is straightforward.
Once the decision is made and the
dye is cast, it's time to act resolutely and fearlessly. It's time to
act as if I cannot fail.
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When I was in the Navy, one of my friends had the nickname "The
Phantom". He was always punctual and performed his duties in a
professional manner, but at all other times, like a submarine, he ran
silent and deep. If you wanted to find The Phantom, all you had to do
was go to the marina, because in every spare moment, he was there
working on his dreams. (He was preparing his sailboat for a four year
trip around the world) He definitely wasn't a flag waver attracting
attention to himself. Most of the time he was in stealth mode doing
exactly what he wanted.
It's amazing how much you can accomplish when you run silent and deep.
The Phantom knew that he lived in a wing clipping world, and as long as
he kept his mouth shut and didn't make waves, the Wing Clippers would
pass him by. They were too busy clipping the wings of everyone who
worshiped at the altar of permission.
If you asked The Phantom for advice, here is what he would say. "Keep
your mouth shut, and run silent and deep. Become the invisible man who
gets the job done and never asks for permission."
I've followed his advice for many years and discovered that he was spot
on. I rarely ask for permission, and I do my utmost to run silent and
deep. I'm living proof that it's possible to live your dreams in a wing
clipping world.
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