It’s never easy to stay in line or keep it between the lines. Those who look on from the sidelines might take for granted the effort that’s required. Things done well often look like they come naturally to the doer. Yet this is seldom so.
In his book Outliers about super achievers, Malcolm Gladwell notes that success in our endeavours depends more on effort and practice than natural ability, intelligence or education. He strongly advocates the need for 10,000 hours of practice at any skill in order to master it.
There’s no denying the amount of work required to flap your wings from Canada to the warmer places south of the border. Some days must be easier than others. Weather is seldom perfect. Yet despite all the hard work, geese may know something we humans don’t yet realize about achieving our goals.
Geese take turns at the lead. Depending on who’s strongest on a given day, the leader facing the most powerful winds may be one goose one day and another the next. If one goose falls ill or is injured, a couple stay back to care for it until they can all continue their journey together. The code geese live by ensures that getting everyone in the air and on their way will always take priority over any goose getting to the destination first.
Gladwell also noticed that super achievers had a remarkable amount of support from others in their journey to success. Sharing strengths with others and daily support and encouragement from family and friends is crucial in order for all of us to achieve our goals and dreams. Geese already seem to know how to do this. We can all learn much from their example.
Flandrum Hill 