29 Mar Embrace Hardship | March 2019

Hardship Wisdom from a Bird

Killdeer, at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico, on a cold morning in late November

It was a cold, windy morning in late November.

“Hello, good bird. You must have had a hard night.”

“As you can see, I’m standing on ice. And frost formed on my back.”

“How did you survive?”

“First, I know that I am more than a cold night.”

“What are you?”

“I am life.”

“So?”

“So I focus on being alive. You see, a focus on life is essential for survival.

This matters because you give power to the thoughts that you allow in your mind. If they stay long enough, they become your reality.”

Killdeer, Calling, at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico, on a cold morning in late November

“And what else?”

“Second, I know the sun will rise. So a cold night becomes a temporary hardship.

And every hardship is a test of your character.

If you go into the hardship, you can survive.”

“How do you go into a hardship?”

“You accept it. Then you find realistic solutions that use your skills. And finally, you take action.

If however, you do nothing or (worse) if you try to run away, the hardship will chase you until it owns you. Then you become the hardship, defending it with excuses and fantasies.”

“So survival requires courage.”

“Yes it does. Because in Nature, there is no alternative to survival.”

Much success,

Steve Kaye

The Story Behind the Photo

I went to the refuge before sunrise on a cold morning to take photos of Sandhill Cranes. After about an hour, I heard a Killdeer call. So I found it and took these photos during the few seconds before it flew away.

If I had focused on the hardships of cold, discomfort, or inconvenience, I would have stayed in bed.

Instead, I focused on the joy of being in Nature.

And that’s why I have this photo.

Find More at:

First Choice

Choosing Success

Ordinary Courage

Simple Answers

Did You Know?

The most effective way to help birds is to buy land.

Here are three organizations that excel at doing this.

1) American Bird Conservancy

2) The Nature Conservancy

3) The Trust for Public Land

Please visit their web sites to learn about the work they do.

Here’s an excellent book: The American Bird Conservancy Guide to Bird Conservation

You can help – Please share this blog with others.

Inspiring Respect for Nature, one bird at a time.

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