Twinn Swan

You can never, ever step in the same river twice. The river of life and of your innermost dreams and longings are in a constant state of ebb and flow.

Fear appears when the mind wants the river to do its will–even though the mind knows that the river cannot do so. If you only took one moment to look at the river, you would know that you will never be able to tame it. So you refuse to look at the river. You refuse to accept that it will change.

If you can accept the river and all that it brings and takes from you; your life will fall into place.

To strive after the truth is a distraction and a delay. The truth is already there for you to see. All you have to do is open your eyes and see it.

The Albatross

I have heard of the albatross, but I have never ever seen one. It reminded me of all the advice that I have received over the years.

I hear people telling me to do things that they have never done. I hear people offering feedback on things that they know nothing about. But in the moment they are doing it–giving terrible advice–they believe that they mean well and that they know what’s best for you.

But this world of ours is forever changing and what worked yesterday will not work tomorrow. Just because a person ‘means well’ doesn’t mean that they are offering you good advice. Many years ago, I was told that the first thing to remember when it comes to business is to be wary of who it is that you take advise from.

Do they have your best interests at heart?

The albatross is a symbol of burden and regret. We can only ever carry burdens if we have regrets: if we have not made the right decision at the right time and in the right place. Did it happen due to bad advice that you received? It is likely that the answer is yes.

How have we chosen to view the circumstances–the changing rivers–that have shaped our very existence? Can we blame them–the circumstances–for how our lives have turned out?

It was by watching the albatross that I saw the answer. For the albatross to take flight, it must be mature and ready. It cannot fly before the time is right. Taking off is the most demanding part of an albatross’s journey. It requires the use of flapping flight to provide thrust as well as lift. But once they are off, albatrosses can range over huge areas of ocean and are frequent flyers that regularly circle the globe.

For the Japanese, the albatross is a symbol of gullibility. They view the bird’s need to be on the ground for a period of time before it takes flight as a sign of its vulnerability. If a person is easily taken advantage of, they are referred to as an albatross. But this view is not universal. Some Japanese people view the albatross as a servant of God and as a messenger that can travel effortlessly between the physical and spiritual domains.

In the early stage of its life, the albatross may well be vulnerable and gullible. But once it takes flight, it possesses an endurance for the sky that is unmatched. It no longer needs the ground that once nourished and tested it and its patience.

With an expected lifespan of seven decades, the albatross is one of the longest-lived birds. They have been viewed with superstitious awe by sailors. Most people in this world rarely ever get a glimpse of these remarkable birds. They only ever hear about them. Even when these birds do visit dry land, it is only to breed.

The albatross usually prefers to maintain a certain distance from people. Since choosing the right companion is a momentous decision for the albatross, it shows the importance of having a good system to identify the top candidates that they’ve chosen to spend their time with.

A recent environmental concern for the albatross has been plastic as well as inadvertently becoming bycatch. Adopting new–and sustainable–fishing techniques is the only way to prevent this lovely bird from becoming bycatch.

The river may well change… But we must have faith that we will find our way.