What Can We Learn From Owls?

Image via Wikipedia

According to tradition, owls are considered to be the wisest of all birds.

Their large eyes give the impression of intelligence, so they are often depicted in stories as wise and knowledgeable.

Personally, I think that they are magnificent animals and there are few more impressive sights than an owl in its natural habitat.

But are they really wise?

I’m not sure if they are from an IQ perspective, but I think that there are a few principles of wisdom that we can learn from owls.

Sit and wait – Owls are rarely flustered and rarely rushed.  They sit there on their perch and take their time.

In our world full of endless activity and distractions, being able to sit quietly is a lost art.  You can’t think strategically if you never stop.  You can’t use your creative juices to their maximum effect if you never slow down.  You can’t come up with brilliant solutions to complex problems if you are always in a panic.

There are times when we need to sit and wait.  Or as I put it elsewhere, instead of living a life of “go, go, go, go, go, stop,” we are more effective when we “stop and then go, go, go, go, go.”

Take notice – Owls don’t just sit still, they are constantly aware of their environment and are always looking and listening.  They have extraordinary eyesight and hearing and use these strengths to find small rodents hiding in thick cover that we would never notice.  The smallest movement or the slightest sound comes to their attention because they are always on the look-out for opportunities.

It’s important that we too are on the look out for opportunities.  One of the dangers for people who sit and wait is that they end up falling asleep instead of focusing their senses on finding the right projects to be involved with, the right time to speak out and the right person to help you to reach your goals.

Act – After sitting still and taking notice, when an owl sees it’s prey, it launches into action, swooping down silently to grab its dinner.

This is a great reminder that ideas without action are irrelevant.  There are a lot of people in the world who have had million dollar ideas who aren’t millionaires,  Life rewards action, so don’t forget to get going when you notice an opportunity to utilise your unique skills.

If you don’t, you make end up hungry.

Are owls really wise?

Only the ones who sit and wait, take notice and act.

What do you think we can learn from owls?

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