25 Feb Your Life List | Feb 2020

Do You Keep a Life List?

American Coot, Most likely on everyone’s Life List

Most people who watch birds keep a Life List.

It’s a tally of the different birds that they have seen.

And thus, it’s a measure of success.

Now, what if there was a second type of Life List: The number of birds that you have shared.

And thus, it’s a measure of significance.

This second list is a bit more complex because it’s difficult to keep track of what you did.

Yet it matters more.

Here’s why.

First, significance includes others.

Striving for significance focuses on helping others, while striving for success focuses on helping ourselves.

For example, on a recent trip to Zion National Park I saw a Hairy Woodpecker. That represents a personal success.

Hairy Woodpecker, Male, in Zion National Park, UT

Then I shared finding this bird with more than three dozen people.

I pointed and said, “Look! There’s a Hairy Woodpecker. See the red on its head? That shows it’s a male. And the female is over there in that tree. Can you hear her hammering?”

This represents a shared experience that included dozens of people.

And now consider, what if sharing this bird provided my incentive for finding it.

Then success becomes the first step toward significance.

That is, we strive for success so that we can use the results to benefit others.

Second, significance lasts longer.

For example, once I told a family that there were Mallards and American Wigeons in a pond. And then the mother told her daughter, “See, those are Mallards and those are American Wigeons.”

American Wigeon, Male

So sharing knowledge enables others to share knowledge. And through this your influence expands.

We could even imagine that this one act of sharing (or significance) might create an interest in birds for both the mother and daughter. And that could lead to changes in both their lives.

Here’s a suggestion:

When appropriate, share birds when you find them.

And if possible, ask a friend to join you for a bird walk. Then you can share the experience of finding and watching birds.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

Find More at:

Basic Priorities for 2020

Being Grateful

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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