a bird in hand? why not two in the bush?

Growing up, the one thing I always wanted was wrapped in a four lettered word. MORE.  I was one of those kids who simply never settled for less. Or even settled at all.(talk about a metaphorical hyperactivity disorder)  I always believed that there was always something better; even when it felt like it was the best. But somehow, society taught me otherwise. Wanting more was being selfish, ungrateful and an over achiever. So I guess it was only appropriate that the two most recurring proverbs all through my childhood were the grass being greener on the other side and that bird in hand being better than the two in the bush one. Serves to say, my life was a paradox. Wanting the bird in my hand but still wanting that green grass. (I later learned the proverb about not having your cake and eating it.)Well, this is not about the proverbs I learned in my childhood. But I was thinking....

What is so bad with letting go of that bird in your hand if it is not feeding you right? What if that bird is the wrong bird and all having it is doing is killing you and who you are really meant to be? Should we stay in relationships that are mediocre simply because we think that we won’t be able to find anything better? To be ‘loved’ the way we truly deserve? (Do we even ever think about the kind of love that we truly deserve?) Should we stay in jobs that force us to live from hand to mouth, even if we have the ability and the skill to move on, simply because it offers us some sort of security?…i am not trying to disregard the fact that we need to be appreciative of how far we have come in life or of the fact that after the struggle and hustle, we finally got that darned bird! But we were never meant to live our lives in static. Life in its very essence is dynamic. CHANGE. Sometimes, change involves you letting go of one thing in order to have space and ability to embrace something better. And as inevitable as change is, it is still a choice; especially when it comes to the WHEN factor. Please understand, sometimes letting go of that bird to look for the two in the bush may be detrimental but life is a risk, one huge leap. How can we know what lies behind the door leading to the unknown unless we take the initiative to open it. Think about it. What if, instead of finding two birds in the bush you find four? Or find a big fat cow instead? I am just saying, we need to stop being afraid of our future and choose to take a leap or two when we need to. I have personally decided to embrace a quote that I have heard thrown around a lot. It’s a beautiful excerpt from the book ‘a return to love’ by Mariam Williamson and I hope it will open your eyes as much as it opened mine.

‘Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure

It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?

Actually, who are we not be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.

There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you

We were all meant to shine, as children do

We were meant to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.’