Leading Consciously Reflections #24

Many moons ago, a therapist asked me how I would feel if I worked really hard on a project and didn't succeed. Of course I would be unhappy with myself, I responded.

What if you had done your absolute best and the obstacles were just too great?

I took it on and I didn't succeed, I replied. I would have failed. One look at her face and I knew that wasn’t the answer she was looking for.

Are some things worth doing – are the stakes high enough – that you're willing to try even if you might not succeed?

That stumped me, because I had been a protester in college against what I thought were insurmountable odds.  

In college, I had set out to get an A in one course and ended up with an A-. I hadn't deemed myself a failure for that.  

And as a teenager, I had gone to considerable lengths to try to rescue a family member who I thought was falling into a harmful situation. I hadn't stopped the harm from happening, but it certainly was not as bad as it would have been. I had not judged that as a failure. Instead, I told myself, I had done my part.

As I thought about it, what was common to all three incidents was that I had done my part. I did what I could do, which kept me from feeling like a failure or sinking into despair.

I remembered all this when I read this beautiful story. 

According to a Native American legend, there was a big fire in the forest. All the animals fled in terror. Suddenly, the jaguar saw a hummingbird pass over his head, flying towards the fire!

Moments later, the jaguar saw him pass again, this time away from the fire. He observed the hummingbird repeatedly coming and going, finally deciding to ask the bird about this seemingly bizarre behavior.

"What are you doing, hummingbird?" he asked.

"I am going to the lake," the bird answered. "I drink water with my beak and throw it on the fire to extinguish it." The jaguar laughed. “Are you crazy? Do you really think that you can put out that big fire on your own with your very small beak?”

“No,” said the hummingbird. “I know I can't. But the forest is my home. It feeds me, it shelters me and my family. I am very grateful for that. And I help the forest grow by pollinating its flowers. I am part of her and the forest is part of me. I know I can't put out the fire, but I must do my part.”

At that moment, the forest spirits, listening to the hummingbird, were moved by the bird’s devotion to the forest; miraculously, they sent a torrential downpour, putting an end to the great fire.

The Native American grandmothers would tell this story to their grandchildren, then conclude with, "Do you want to attract miracles into your life? Do your part.

“You have no responsibility to save the world or find the solutions to all problems—but to attend to your particular personal corner of the universe. As each person does that, the world saves itself.’"

- author unknown

What do you think? We would love to hear your opinion.

Which of these is most true for you? 

If I try my best and don’t succeed because the obstacles were too great:

• I feel bad about myself
• I keep thinking of something else I should have done
• I console myself by knowing that at least I did my best