12/18/20
I recently re-read Richard Bach’s, *Jonathan Livingston Seagull*, which is a story about following your dreams even when they go against the grain. It’s about making the most of the life you have been given.
In the book, the author uses the metaphor of seagulls flying to demonstrate that if we follow our dreams and achieve our dream goals, we too can soar.
The title character, Jonathan, is banished from his flock because his innovations in flight, challenges the flock’s norms.
He is branded as an outcast, which leads him to spend his years in solitude developing his talents and broadening his awareness.
He enjoys a rich life in exile, whose joys he is unable to share with other gulls. But in that period of reflection, he discovers that boredom, fear and anger are the reasons that a gull’s life is so short, and with these gone from his thought, he ends up living a long fine life.
One of the profound lessons I’ve learned from Jonathan’s story is how essential it is to release our belief in our own limits.
Leaving our minds and hearts open leaves our minds and hearts open – to grow.
This too shall pass,
Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a simple story with a profound message. The message is that we can all be so much more than we believe, or are given to believe. That fortune, if you wish – is on the side of the bold, the adventurous and the free in spirit.
Don’t limit yourself & stay blessed forever.