Last week I started wondering about ostriches. That may make you wonder about me, but I’m fine–really I am.
Here’s what I learned about ostriches. This comes from the website for the San Diego Zoo, a very good site.
Ostriches are the largest birds, but they can’t fly. Instead they run, and they run very fast.
Ostriches have small wings but they have nothing to do with even trying to fly. The wings help the birds balance themselves as they run. It is like your walking a tightrope or a balance beam. We use our arms to balance ourselves. Ostriches use their wings in the same way.
Ostriches have only two toes. Most birds have three or four. The two toes help the ostrich run faster.
Ostriches do eat sand, stones, and small pebbles. The combination helps the ostrich digest its food and gain necessary nutrients.
After learning Ostriches eat sand you might not be surprised to know that the ostrich’s eye is larger than its brain.
Here’s the main thing I learned. The ostrich sticking its head in the sand is a myth. It’s a wonderful story, but it’s a myth. What makes it such a good story is that we often think the ostrich hides its head in the sand to avoid seeing danger. It’s as if the ostrich can’t see it, it doesn’t exist.
That is not an ostrich thought or instinct. It’s a human thought. We are the ones who stick our heads in the sand. We are the ones who think if we don’t think about an issue it doesn’t exist. We are the ones who ignore problems and don’t deal with them.
I want to give you two truths.
First, bad news or trouble doesn’t get better with age. We have to confront our trouble or behavior or poor attitude. Only when we deal with it can we be better people.
Second, if you don’t deal with your issues–attitude, behavior, habits, hang-ups–early in life, they will destroy you later in life. The sooner you really confront yourself the better you will be.
It’s time to look seriously at your life. Don’t stick your head in the sand.
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2 Responses
It seems we can be the victim of our own Honor. The choices become a matter of degree. The experience has given me a greater appreciation for the writings of the Old Testament Prophets. The Human Condition continues.
When I was younger my friends were alive. People who worked with me and trusted me stood with me facing adversity. Now they watch from heaven. It is an interesting feeling. It is insightful. It has helped me appreciate how society has gotten into its present state. It is amazing it functions at all with so many around with their heads in their own sand.
To paraphrase you, “The problems of your youth will be a mill stone around your neck as you advance in years.” That too has taken a different dimension. One can be standing in Truth, but without witnesses standing with you, the judgement will be for the one who has their own polished dissemblers.
It takes time to cultivate relationships. When the end of the road is in sight and closing fast, their is a shift in actionable choice priorities. The one who is along for the ride likely wonders, why all the fuss?
By the way: As far as I know, all birds eat sand, etc. to digest.
May the air of life be sweeter for my passing, as it was in the case of my Father and Father-in-Law.
Blessings
This morning on CNBC in Davos, Switzerland I heard what best explains the approach I developed in the management of the estate of Irene B. Matthew when asked to implement her goals which matched the goals of my Father in 1996. I looked at our assets as an engine that needed fuel and occasional tuning for the terrain intended to be crossed on the adventure of life. In March of 2000 the Mountain had been climbed and it was time to shift gears or blow the engine. I was relieved by the actions of my sister convincing our Mother she new best. This represented an example of several different sets of “Principles.” My sister comes from a bureaucratic social culture in which she is quite successful. My Mother did not want me to include my Sister in our finances but I sought to treat her as I would want to be treated, applying a Scriptural Principle, so in December of 1999 I shared with her the value of the portfolio. My Mother was then compromised with the Fairness Principle. He had his chance, now give me mine. Of course this principle was fueled by a broker who saw an opportunity to score big. His Principle was to keep his gravy train going as Unit Municipal Trusts of AAA Insured Bonds being bought at discount to par value yielding effectively up to or exceeding 7% on principle after his 6% commission would not give him the same income over a ten plus year time horizon as would money in a “Managed Account.” “Let the professionals handle the money” won over performance. Interesting, no one came to my aid, quite the contrary.
The following is a quote from a successful business man, Ray Dalio, who started with 5 million dollars in 1985 and is now worth billions:
“Principles are concepts that can be applied over and over again in similar circumstances as distinct from narrow answers to specific questions. Every game has principles that successful players master to achieve winning results. So does life. Principles are ways of successfully dealing with the laws of nature or the laws of life. Those who understand more of them and understand them well know how to interact with the world more effectively than those who know fewer of them or know them less well. Different principles apply to different aspects of life—e.g., there are “skiing principles” for skiing, “parenting principles” for parenting, “management principles” for managing, “investment principles” for investing, etc—and there are over-arching “life principles” that influence our approaches to all things. And, of course, different people subscribe to different principles that they believe work best.”
There are times a word of “Truth” can be quite valuable for the Kingdom. It costs little but a little time, with timely application. Romans 8:28 either way, you get to decide.
Blessings