Becoming a Better Bird

Becoming a Better Bird

           I recently got a new smart phone to replace my "dumb" one.  And silly me, I thought phones were for talking.  I have since learned that they are for tweeting, GPSing, FaceBook updates, MMSing, UPC scanning, and most importantly playing games.  I myself am more of a board game person (Scrabble, UpWords, RummiKub, etc.), but I was intrigued.  Especially by a game that had something to do with birds and pigs and destruction of some type.  Yes, these birds were ANGRY.  I downloaded the free version of the Angry Birds game nearly two hours into my smartphone ownership because I had to see what the big deal was.  For about two hours, my life was consumed with flipping birds into pigs and their homes with varying degrees of accuracy.  Kids went unfed, phones unanswered, husband ignored...you get the picture.  And what was my reward for the two hours of dedication?  Well...I was ANGRY -- that I had wasted so much time. 

          The thing is still taking up real estate on my phone, but I looked at it one day and wondered why, since I had not really played it in weeks.  The more I thought about it, the more I realized that those stupid birds could actually be metaphors for motivation -- or the lack thereof.  I decided to make their presence on my smartphone a little more meaningful, so I began to brainstorm...how did these critters get SO over-emotional (I will use over-emotional instead of angry, as any histrionics are not productive or pretty)  and what could be done about it (short of winning the game, of course)?

          Don't sweat the small stuff.  In the beginning, the birds had their eggs, and they were happy.  Then, they allowed themselves to get angry over something small (in this case, a mosquito).  They got SO consumed with anger, that they stomped the little guy into dust.  And so it is with us.  If we are totally focused on our goals or our task at hand, the little things won't mean anything -- much less make us so emotional that we lose both control and focus.   

          Don't lose sight of what's important.  In the beginning, the birds had their eggs, and they were happy.  The eggs were important, and so was the triangle of their relationship with their fellow birds and the eggs.  They were, in all respects, like a family.  As they got angry over such a minor thing (the mosquito), they literally lost sight of what was important to them (the eggs).  And then, before you can say "bird is the word", the eggs were GONE.  Losing things that are important to us causes us to often become emotional, blaming ourselves for the loss and possibly our inability or missed opportunity to get the things back.  Now the pigs in this case, they are another story.  They sat. They watched.  They waited for the birds to focus their attention on something else and BAM!  Omelettes anyone?  

          In life, there are birds, and there are pigs -- both in business as well as the barnyard.  Both types exist, but in different ways. 

         

          The birds are focused on taking care of things, making things happen for themselves.  Birds must catch their own food and build their own homes. Their future happiness depends on the quantity and quality of their work.  The birds fly high in the sky, above all the dirt and grime -- meaning that not only are they clean physically, but mentally as well.  Birds are smart.

          A bird in the "people world" would probably be someone who is focused, does well in school and/or work, does not let other people's opinions influence them, and stands up for themselves.  Some species of birds mate for life, and most of their human counterparts value interpersonal relationships like long-term marriage and friendships with many types of people.  These people "fly high" above things like gossip, cheating, lying, and anything that puts them on the wrong side of the law.    They pride themselves on preening and keeping themselves well-groomed and healthy. Their opinions are valued, their nests are clean, and they are generally good people -- productive and well-liked.  Good is OK, but better and BEST are where they are trying to fly.

         

          The pigs, on the other hand, also have goals -- but they are adept at using others to obtain them.  The pigs are penned and slopped by someone else, usually a farmer or budding 4H club member.  Their future happiness depends on the work of  others.  Pigs are ground-dwellers, so they cannot rise above the filth and grime of the ground.  Unclean and unkempt, they can wallow in filth all day and be perfectly happy.  Pigs are generally perceived or depicted as not all that smart (even though biologically, they really are pretty intelligent).

          Human "pigs" thrive on laziness, clutter, and chaos.  It doesn't matter to them if they cause someone else trouble, as long as their needs are taken care of.  They may be less-educated, or at least they act like it.  Noisy and not given to social graces, they are uncomfortable going outside their "pen" and taking chances because it is too much work.  They might have trouble holding a job because of their work ethic, or they will stay at an easy job and not advance themselves because, again -- WORK is required.  Their appearance is unkempt and uncouth, and although pigs may be fun people to be around in certain situations, they may lose out on lots of opportunities due to their demeanor and actions.  "Good enough" is good enough for them. 

          Talk about imagery on an iPhone!  

Now before you fire off a really unkind comment about this article, I would like to clarify something.  When I put the standards of birds vs. pigs to the test, I found that there is a little more gray area in human life than there is in the animal kingdom -- where a bird is a bird and a pig is a pig.  I see hybrids -- pigs with little wings and birds with pig snouts and curly tails (insert hilarious mental pictures here).  And I think in certain circumstances, having a little pig in you is acceptable (like maybe on your day off, or vacation time)...but all-pig people seriously make me want to go Kosher and run back to my nest.  

          My challenge to myself this year (and to anyone reading this) is to become a little more bird and put away my inner pig.  How can I do this?  Fly above the pigs -- don't let gossip and laziness bring you down.  My "eggs" are truly my family (both immediate and extended), and I vow in 2012 to let the little stuff "bug" me less so I am doing more singing and less emotion-filled pecking in my nest.  I want to keep my nest (house, desk. etc) clean and my goals high.  I want to be healthy and choose good habits so my feathers stay clean and shiny.  And most of all, I want to continue to migrate with a good group, headed in the same direction towards the same goals.  

          And for those of you "Angry Birds" fans... I hope you don't let a small thing like this article cause you to become emotional.  Go ahead -- play the game.  But remember, it's JUST a game.  Don't let the piggies bring you down!

          Happy 2012!