High above the mountains, a young eagle sat and was terrified of the huge chasm in front of him. Behind the eagle was his warm, familiar and cosy nest. Before him was the vast sky and everything unknown.
His mother gently nudged him into the open air, 'You will never know the power of your wings while your feet remain safe on the ground.'
The young eagle trusted his mother.
For a few seconds there was panic, sheer unadulterated panic.
But panic turned to reflex and when instinct took over, the wings spread.
The flight then began and there was no turning back.
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The Panchatantra mentions this Subhashita (a well-known saying)
न हि संशयम् अनारुह्य नरो भद्राणि पश्यति ।
संशयं पुनरारुह्य यदि जीवति पश्यति ॥
Na hi saṃśayam anāruhya naro bhadrāṇi paśyati |
Saṃśayaṃ punarāruhya yadi jīvati paśyati ||
This translates to: ‘Without venturing into uncertainty and risk, a person never attains true prosperity or greatness. It is only by daring to face the unknown that one rises to see fortune.’
It is easy to admire the majestic eagle, just like it is easy to adore someone living a successful life.
But what we forget when we look at these people is the fear that they must have overcome, the edge-of-the-cliff moment that terrified them.
Uncertainty is not a flaw in the journey, it is a prerequisite.
So let go of the ground and unfurl your wings and trust the wind to catch you.
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