Are You an Eagle or a Vulture?

Are you an eagle or a vulture? Would you rather be an eagle or a vulture? I bet you said "eagle of course!" That's the answer I would have given as well if I were you, but I'm not :-). I'll ask the question again later; let's see what your answer will be then.

I can't count how many motivational speeches I've heard about eagles - be an eagle, not a chicken; soar high above the clouds; hunt from above instead of pecking on the floor;... (add your thoughts here.) Don't get me wrong, I was motivated by these speeches and their lessons back then. But as I've learned to think deeper about talents, I now find speeches like these shallow (sorry if that hurts.) Let's explore a little deeper.

Most people would rather be an eagle than a vulture because first of all, motivational speakers don't give speeches that encourage people to be a vulture. Add to that, most of us have a negative unconscious bias towards vultures. First, when vultures are shown on TV, they are often feeding on a dead animal Second, "vulture" can also be used in a derogatory way to describe an opportunistic person who's always waiting to take advantage of others misfortune. Third, vultures aren't the prettiest of birds.

So, eagles are low hanging fruit for motivational speeches. The only people who speak favorably and passionately about vultures are Ornithologists (scientists who study birds,) or people who are fascinated by raptors.

LET'S COMPARE THE BIRDS

Point 1 - Eagles (there are about 68 species) mostly hunt for their prey and eat what they kill. But a few of them actually eat dead animals (surprise!!) Vultures mostly eat dead animals but will often prey on weak animals too.

Eagles see their prey from afar off while vultures smell dead animals from afar off. By feeding on dead animals, vultures serve an ecologically important purpose of preventing the spread of disease from rotting corpses.

Lesson 1: The birds are fulfilling the purpose for which they were created. Vultures may be ugly but they serve a crucial purpose to other creatures.

Point 2: Eagles are mostly solitary birds, even though few can be social. They are monogamous and for the most part, have one partner for life and come together when it's time to mate.

Vultures on the other hand are social birds; they fly, roost and hunt in groups.

Lesson 2: I don't know about you but I'd say the vultures have more fun joking and telling each other stories while the admired eagle...well, lives a life in solitude.

My Point:

I won't bore you with other fun facts about these birds (might be fun for you to study) but here's my key point; the eagle was made for a purpose just like the vulture. The eagle is not better than the vulture or even a chicken, they are different. Each bird has it's purpose and they do a remarkable job of fulfilling it. Humans are the ones comparing the birds.

"The vulture and the eagle were created by the same God to fulfill different purposes. They look and behave differently but after each meal, they both lift their hands to give thanks to their creator. Neither is concerned about being like the other."

My answer to the question "would you rather be an eagle or a vulture?" is neither. I don't want to be a bird. I want to be me. I want to fulfill the purpose for which I was created. The next time you hear a speaker give a talk about being like an eagle (or wolf,) just smile and make notes on how you can be a better YOU.

You are unique and unlike anyone else who's ever been created and who will ever be created. You are enough.

Kene Iloenyosi is a career coach who helps his clients discover and work in their career sweet spot. To learn about his coaching service, go to talentrevolution.me.

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