Giving up the struggle. Nature's lesson on freedom.

On a walk around the renovated South Pond in Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo, I was gifted with a lesson from Nature, taught to me by a baby duck.  See my special no-cost offer below, inspired by this story, so YOU can benefit from Nature's lesson, too!

While strolling along the gorgeous new boardwalk, my husband and I came upon a family of ducks.  A mom and 3 babies maybe 2 weeks old, about 5 inches long, all cute and fuzzy.  What wasn't so warm and fuzzy is that the 3 ducklings were trapped on the wrong side of a continuous circuit of chicken wire set up on wooden stakes to protect the newly planted seeds on the edge of the pond! 

We watched intrigued and concerned as these 3 babies tried to get back to their mother.  The longer they struggled, the more we thought of ways to intervene. 

Then we decided to see what Nature would figure out.

One of the ducklings poked his head through a hole in the chicken wire, flapped his wings, until they were stuck in the wire, and then kicked and wriggled his body and until he made it through to the open pond and his mom!  The second duckling very soon after followed his sibling's example and made it through.

Duckling #3 seemed to lack confidence and commitment (notice my judgment of this duck!) and swam from side to side, flapping her wings and occasionally timidly testing a hole in the wire mesh.  She didn't seem to have the courage or determination to force herself through as her siblings had done. 

She in fact began swimming to the right, away from her mother and the other babies, though they shadowed her and watched.   Suddenly I noticed that one panel of chicken wire had been completely torn and bent back leaving a gaping hole big enough for a full-grown duck to swim through. 

The humans cheered and encouraged the duckling to swim through and she did.  She rejoined her family. (Pictured in a sea of algae - lunch!) Soon after, we saw all 3 babies sound asleep on a rock with Mom looking on.

Nature's Lesson.  I realized how much my approach to things is like those first two ducklings.  I judge myself the same way I judged them, too, no surprise... lacking courage and confidence.

Do you see any part of you in this story?  See if my insights are a fit for you.  When faced with a fence and feeling trapped, separated from what you want...

• do you panic and go for the most obvious solution without assessing the bigger picture?
• do you force yourself through tight spaces just to get "it" done?
• do you follow and copy what others have done because you don't trust you can find your own solution?

What I learned from nature and from the last little duckling is that there are sometimes big gaping holes and easier solutions if I take a breath, don't panic, step back and look.  I wondered if this little creature had a dim memory of what got her into this mess and remembered there was an opening.  What if we can actually "remember' the solution, even if we haven't solved this exact problem before?

This plaque shares a message I've come back to many times since the ducklings' lessons.  It is posted along the boardwalk.

Where are you trapped? Where can you give yourself freedom?  Think about your life and your pond. Where are you trying to force yourself through a tight space, kicking and pushing hard to get something done?  How would your efforts be easier if you could step back calmly and see the doorway and your freedom that is easy, available and just out of sight?

What obstacles are you trying to push through? Is there something you've been wanting to change but don't know how to start?  Have you wanted to improve or go after a new job or career but lack the courage and determination?  Do you have a business dream that you've secretly wanted to start but are too afraid to test the waters (hah!)?

Special Nature-Inspired Offer!  If you are serious about getting into the center of your pond so you can swim freely and go after what you really want, take action now.  You may benefit from having an inspiring, creative-thinking guide to help you find the easy passageway through your fence.  Learn to discover, leverage and apply YOUR NATURE and to create a plan to get there.

Spend 30 minutes with just such a guide, Gail Sussman Miller.  There are a limited number of no-cost complimentary consultations set aside.  In this session Gail will help you see where you are, where you'd like to be and the obstacles that seem to be in the way. Learn what your beginning steps might be and how working with Gail as your coach can get through your fence with greater ease, less stress and more success.  You may learn to actually LOVE fences and obstacles when you realize you have a success formula all your own.

Steps to get this offer.

1. Download your Complimentary Consultation Prep Questions 
2. Type your answers to the questions and email them to Gail @ InspiredChoice.com
3. Include your phone number and 2 or 3 dates/times you are available Monday, Tuesday or Thursday afternoons.
4. I'll email you and set up our time to dip our toes in the water