Stop Settling, Start Flying
“If an eagle ever sees a bird flying at the same altitude, it must be another eagle. Pigeons don’t fly at the altitudes of eagles. If you find yourself flying with pigeons, you might be flying too low. Show me your crowd and I’ll show you your future.” - Ray Lewis
The people you surround yourself with can drive you towards a brighter future or derail you completely. It is important to be intentional. I am fortunate to be connected to the people I call my friends. We may not always agree on the path, but the goal remains the same — keep making progress.
My friends and I can go quite a while without actually talking on the phone, so when one of us calls, there likely will be an answer on the other side. One day I received a phone call from a close friend of mine and he simply said, “It’s time to move forward.” While I still felt all of the emotions of grief and confusion, I knew he was right. I knew I could not allow myself to sulk forever, so I started moving. At times, it felt like I was running from all of the emotions. I was afraid I needed to sit with the pain in order to heal, but I eventually realized, it was simply time for me to fly again.
I didn’t really know where to start, but I knew the foundation of any real change was to build better habits. In high school, I used to wake up at 4:30 A.M. In a large household like ours, it paid off to be done before anybody else, because you had a bit more freedom without the pressure of being the last one dressed then rushed out of the house with sleep still in your eyes. I thought about what that meant for me at 33. If I could give myself a little more time in the morning, I could meditate, work out and journal all before beginning a busy day.
My new meditation practice started at 10 minutes. I followed that by going up to 25 minutes . . . then 35 minutes. I tested all the way up to an hour, but decided on a daily practice of 30-45 minutes in the morning and frequently, 10-15 minutes at night, alongside listening to meditation music or affirmations as I sleep. I noticed huge shifts in my mood. It also became apparent to me that if I can give myself the time in the morning to truly center, other positive changes occur with my attitude and appreciation for life. Adding my morning workouts and expressions of gratitude to this routine requires a ton of discipline, so it’s necessary to remind myself that this practice is not simply for the moment. It’s so I can fly like an eagle among the eagles I have surrounded myself with.
Your journey may not be exactly like mine, but I pray that you take flight too. Whether it’s through a daily meditation practice, expressions of gratitude or you find other ways to build proper habits and hold yourself accountable, be diligent in your pursuit to be the best version of yourself.
Lastly, remember . . . It’s gonna hurt, but it won’t kill you.
-TK
