Eagle Wisdom?

On a recent trip to Vancouver Island, BC, I had the opportunity to meet Jill, an avid kayaker. She shared with me many different wildlife experiences she has had while kayaking. The most memorable was her story of watching an eagle swoop down to snatch a large salmon out of the water. However, the salmon proved too heavy for the eagle to lift, and this created a life or death scenario not for the salmon, but for the eagle.

I learned from Jill that when an eagle’s talons latch onto their prey, the hooks in the talons which keep the fish from escaping also keep the eagle from releasing the fish. In other words, the eagle latched onto this salmon and couldn’t let go. Why life or death? Because if the eagle cannot lift up the salmon, then the salmon will drown the eagle.

I had never heard of this phenomenon before, and I was mesmerized by the story. Jill went on to explain that the eagle prevailed by swimming to the shore dragging the salmon. According to Jill’s kayaking guide, they had seen something few people ever see – an eagle swimming using its mighty wings to plow through the water.

Why am I sharing this story? It’s a lesson about commitment. Eagles are fully committed in their hunt. Once they latch onto their prey, they not only will not but cannot let go. They’re all in even if that means drowning in pursuit of their objective.

Are you that committed to something in your life, relationships, business or faith? What mission, passion or purpose have you latched onto so strongly that you will not let go at any cost? Imagine what it would feel like to love something and be so fully committed that you would never let go of it. I want to feel exactly that – to have a path and purpose that I will not let go of despite trials and setbacks.

You may be thinking that the better path for the eagle is just to let go, but the eagle would rather die than release its prey. Similarly, we can hold onto something so dearly that we’d rather die than let our dreams fail. What about you? Do you have anything in your life that you will hold onto as if your life depends on it? Indeed, perhaps our lives do depend on us latching on to a dream, a vision or a passion – and being willing to hold on to it for dear life. I was blessed by this wisdom from the eagles, which soar to the highest heights – some say closest to God – and which are committed so fully that they will not let go.

What will you latch onto today and choose not to let go – no matter how, no matter how long and no matter what gets in your way? Make the commitment and you will soar like eagles.