I was out on my paddleboard yesterday, watching an osprey hunt. They soar above the water until they spot a fish, then dive with all the grace of a failing lawn chair. They hit the water with a giant splash and if they’re lucky, they come up with lunch clutched in their talons.
But that’s not the part that caught my attention.
Whether they catch a fish or not, they come out soaking wet. Before they can fly well again, they have to do this little shake out. They stop flapping for a second or two, shake their whole body in midair, losing most of the altitude they gained. It’s messy. It is not efficient. If the osprey had feelings, it would definitely be embarassed.
And yet they all do it because it’s the only thing that dries them off enough to soar again.
Life as a human is like that too. Change always comes with a shakeout period.
We have to reorient ourselves…let go of what we thought the future would look like and reach for the new future that’s now available.
From the outside, it may not look graceful. It’s awkward. Cringe. But everybody has shakeouts. They’re messy and uncomfortable, and they’re a necessary part of moving forward.
So, if you’re in the middle of one right now, don’t panic.
Take a sec and be a little messy. You’re ok…
You’re just shaking out your feathers.
Go get ’em, Tiger.
Anne Bonney is a keynote speaker and emcee who helps organizations lead through change by building resilience, emotional intelligence, and courageous communication.
