The Rewards and Risks of Personal Freedom
Charlie Badenhop
We all need to decide whether to "play it safe" in life and worry
about the downside, or instead take a chance, by being who we
really are and living the life our heart desires. Which choice
are you making?
* * *
One of the first things I noticed about my newly purchased
parrot, was that he couldn't fly. Chico's wings had been clipped
and he was stuck here on earth just like us humans.
Once the weather turned nice I took Chico and sat him on a branch
of a tree in my backyard, hoping to make him happier. At first he
seemed confused. He walked back and forth on the branch looking
like an agitated father pacing back and forth in the maternity
waiting room. I was surprised to see that he didn't flap his
wings in an attempt to fly. Somehow he knew he was incapable. I
always wondered how he knew such a thing.
One day, while sitting on his branch, Chico got way more agitated
then he had been when I first took him outside months ago. He was
pacing back and forth and talking up a storm. Then all of a
sudden, he stopped pacing, let out a spine tingling scream, and
started madly flapping his wings for the first time ever. About
three seconds later, he lifted off from the branch like the space
shuttle at Cape Canaveral! I was amazed and shocked. Little did I
know his feathers had been growing back in, and just like a sly
convict, Chico had been biding his time until the moment was ripe
for escape!
Chico made his break for freedom on a late Monday afternoon, and
by late Monday night I knew he was not coming home. Finally, on
Tuesday evening Chico returned, but stayed way out of reach. I
talked to him and showed him some food, but to no avail. Then I
took his cage inside so he would not relate coming back to
getting locked up again. Finally, I made him a firm promise that
if he did come back I would let him out every day the weather was
nice. Shortly after making my solemn oath, he flew onto my
shoulder and I took him upstairs.
From that day on, whenever the weather was good I would let him
out early and he would fly around and be back before dark. This
routine lasted for about two months and then suddenly Chico
became ill. The vet said that he had contracted a disease from
the pigeons in the neighborhood. Within a few days he died, and I
mourned his loss.
Just once the thought crossed my mind that if I had not set him
free to fly every day, he would still be alive. It was then that
I realized that the quality of one's life is much more important
than the number of years one lives. What sense is there in being
a bird if you can't fly?
Chico made his initial break for freedom on a late Monday
afternoon in April. When will you make yours? You too can take a
chance when the conditions are right, knowing you too in your own
way, were built to fly. If you don't set yourself free, what will
be the purpose of your life?
I would suggest that the quality of one's life is dependant on
feeling one's essence, and living the design that is you. If you
are a fish, your life needs to be all about swimming. If you are
a bird, your life needs to be all about flying and spreading your
message to all that you meet along the way. What sense is there
in being you, if you don't really let yourself free and express
your heart?
Charlie Badenhop is the originator of Seishindo, an Aikido
instructor, NLP trainer, and Ericksonian Hypnotherapist.
Benefit from a new self-help Practice every two weeks, by
subscribing to his complimentary newsletter "Pure heart,
simple mind" at http://www.seishindo.org
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