As birds do

LADY MACDUFF: “And what will you do now? How will you live?”
SON: “As birds do, mother.”
LADY MACDUFF: “What, with worms and flies?”
SON: “With what I get, I mean; and so do they.”

– From Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Act 4 Scene 2

Of all the magnificent quotes & exchanges I could share from Macbeth or Romeo and Juliet (what I’m currently teaching in high school English), this exchange is what I wanna share the most right now.

To live as birds do.

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Tell me that’s not a beautiful idea. (I dare you!)
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In this post, I want to address how challenging it is to navigate between what it is that you love to do and can share with the world, and what it is that you can also do –but-don’t-quite-love-to-do– and can share with the world.

As an extension of that, what fuels your perspective as you navigate that challenge?

How often, when a season is challenging you, do you complain about what is?

In the same context, how often do you express gratitude (internally or externally) for all the beautiful things and beautiful feelings that you already do have?
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Taking a cue from the birds… as seasons change, you move on. It’s survival. Staying in place is not an option – you either fly south, or you don’t. And in the back of your mind, you know that you can always fly home.

What does this have to do with navigating the right thing to do with your life, at the right time??

Well, I think it all relates to amor fati, The Inner Ring, “staying in your lane”, and finding that space where you can live in unapologetic bliss. (All previous blog posts!) I think these are the places where you can stay closest to the path that is most truthful to your heart.

Of course, wayyy easier said than done.

But way easier done when done.
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Just as foil characters in a story can bring light and understanding through polarizing differences of one another, so can massive contrast across seasons. Sometimes that contrast forces you to appreciate what you already have, and sometimes that contrast forces you to move, literally, to a different place – at least temporarily.

Ultimately, I think appreciating seasons sharpens the intuition you need to make your next move.
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Reality check: The start of high school soccer season is 22 days away.

I can already hear the birds, smell the grass, and feel the sunlight. I can visualize so clearly our first home game under the lights.

You know how you can sometimes FEEL a breeze before you HEAR it come through the trees around you? That kept happening to me on my walk yesterday, and I don’t mind admitting that I took it as a sign that spring will be here sooner than later. As exciting as that is, I’ll be trying to live more as birds do in the meantime, and appreciating this season for what it is right NOW.

Cheers to optimism <3