The eagle, yes,” I would like to be an eagle,” I answered them. Hello, I know you are very curious to know why. Now, let me let you in. The place is Lagos Nigeria, and the event is the People-Prime Graduate Recruitment Fair. Like every other fresh graduate in town, I and my friend had the lofty ambition of landing the best Job. Hence, we went job hunting. We had a thrilling adventure applying for limited or non-existent jobs. This took us so many graduate fairs, talk shops, workshops, and seminars because we wanted to enrich our resumes and somehow get connections. That was how we landed here.
Sincerely, this particular graduate fair was so unique. It was so unique in the sense that it involved big-time major players from the oil and gas, banking, communication, financial, and manufacturing sectors. The private sector, multinationals, and government establishments were in full representation. After the introduction, keynote address, and talk shop by the who-is-who in the corporate world, it was time to go around the various stands of prospective employers.
Funny But Technical Question
It was in one of the stands for a popular multinational name withheld for personal reasons, that we were bombarded with one of the funniest albeit technical questions. For those of you in the human resources terrain, the question will be familiar. The question goes like this; in relation to your career, if you were to be an animal which one will you be, and why?
They took time to ask each and every one of us. Then they asked my friend what animal he would like to be, he said a sheep. When he was asked why he said he would sheepishly follow the management’s decisions and orders. He added that he would abide by the company’s rules and regulations. I then got my turn and I was asked which animal I would like to be – the eagle I answered.
There are success lessons to learn from the eagle. The eagle as a bird is a symbol of strength, courage, and bravery. In this post, we shall look at five (5) distinctive features of an eagle.
Vision
If you are an eagle that means you have a good vision. Heard about Eagle-eyed? It means being very good at seeing or noticing. A strong vision is one of the eagle’s greatest assets. It can see farther about 50 miles away from its present position. Vision is very important and necessary if you must succeed. In my book, I said that you cannot succeed beyond your vision. You can only succeed when you operate within the ambit of your vision.
Vision in this regard is the ability to see and explore opportunities. Your vision is your compass and blueprint in your quest for success. It answers the question of what to do. Hence, it breeds ideas. It is your vision that makes your success a reality. So like the eagle, you must have a vision in life if you intend to succeed.
Bravery
The eagle is not afraid of challenges. The storm does not intimidate it. It remains calm in the face of the daunting storm. The eagle by its bravery is able to face and overcome the turbulent storm. It graciously and effortlessly rides on the wind current gliding through the storm where no other bird dares to fly. In the face of challenges, you must be brave as the eagle. Your ability to confront and overcome your challenges defines your success. Don’t let your challenges intimidate you, you can make a piecemeal of them if you persevere.
In one of my posts, I did say that success is all about conquest. The more challenges you conquer or overcome the more successful you become. Like the eagle, you must dare to succeed by confronting your challenges headlong.
Eagle Soar
Eagle soars higher than any other bird. They can fly up to an altitude of 10,000 ft which no other birds can reach. Eagle has pride such that all its businesses are at the summit of very high trees, cliffs, or mountains. So, at such a great height, it can only mingle with other eagles. In one of my posts, see it here; I said that you must indulge in selective association. You must work with like minds, and high flyers. These are people that will motivate you to soar and also soar to greater heights with you. Work with a team of fellow eagles if you want to succeed in life.
If you associate with eagles, you will learn how to soar – Major Collin Powell.
Eagle retreats
The eagle has a habit of retreating when its strength is fast deteriorating, and it has become a threat to its survival. It is a period of a renewal process and can take about five to six months. This will help the eagle to renew and launch out in full strength. It improves mental strength and enables us to think clearly. This action increases creativity. Retreating also helps in stress management. It elongates life. Do you want to live long? Then find time to retreat. Just by retreating the eagle can add about 20 to 30 years to its age.
The eagle is a good mentor
Jn fact, mentoring in its purest form is a habit that is common among eagles. The eagle mentors her young ones. This mentorship trait can be detected in guiding her young eaglets in the flight process. At the right time, the eagle will take the young eaglet and put it on her back ready to coach her on how to fly. This process is intermittently repeated over a period of time until the young eaglet learns how to fly on its own. A mentor is an experienced instructor or guide. Someone, who takes a personal interest in your success and is committed to helping you to reach your full potential, and if you must soar and succeed in life like the eagle you need one.
Finally, in relation to success, if you were to be an animal which animal would you be, and why? Let’s have your opinion. God bless you.
Culled from my book “The Threshold of Life “. Get your Copy and Learn more about Success tips for successful living.