Beautiful ducks

Hundreds of ducks are released on the rice paddy adjacent my house. The ducks are scouring for food while making strange noises. They are obviously relishing the abundant supply of food in the newly-plowed, water-filled ride paddy. Lovely. A lovely sight on a restful Sunday.

My daughter Shiloh Ruthie and I watched the ducks. They are very graceful creatures on the water. Their life is so much simpler. No stress. No cares. No trouble. Yet when life is so much simpler, life could become boring too. I am not talking about the ducks anymore.

Like many people, a comfort zone is a sense of security. Yet a comfort zone when enjoyed for a long time can make us lose our steam in life. One has to go out of the comfort zone from time to time to see how the world is moving. How other people are facing difficulties and challenges. How one can help.

The ducks are only allowed near the house after harvest time when food is aplenty. They are also freed to scour for food when the paddy is filled with water after farmers have done plowing just like today. Not much challenge there, is it? They follow their leader. Somebody has to bring the flock where food is found. They enjoy the place for a time before they are herded back to their habitat. Not much thinking, too. Everything is thought of for them. It’s not a free life.

Our lives are so much better. We have a choice over things, over circumstances. Yet, we admire the ducks. Their beauty and simplicity is naturally awesome. Admirable creatures. I wonder what the ducks have to say to us – human beings. Would they have admired us for our intellect? Would they have appreciated our free spirits? Our choices? Oh well, it takes a duck to tell us.

        

But one thing profound about the ducks I saw today and that brings me inspiration, life could be lived simply. No unnecessary stress and trouble. It’s a new attitude. At times, we falter – it’s not easy after all. But we should decide to take on the challenge - the challenge to simplify our lives.

Note: This article was published as a column in 2007.

Get God onboard

Have you had plans that you have set aside for some time now? Say a decade? Well, it’s time you start pounding on them. The plan has been there for a while, probably tucked in one compartment of your mind. Now is the time to revisit that compartment, bring out the cold stuff, thaw if necessary, unpack, look at the bigger picture, and work out the details.

New Year is the perfect time. It is after all, a new beginning. Get on with the plan and implement it. Easier said than done? Well, you need support. Discuss it with family members and closest confidantes and friends. Pray about it. Work out the details with them and most importantly, start that single step. For instance, write that first letter. Do that research. Visit that office or person. Start with a single step so the fluid plan gets into motion. It’s like energy transformed from potential to kinetic. Hmm where did I learn that? Ah my Grade 3 teacher.

        Let’s simplify. When the plan is now out of the compartment, review it. Delete the non-essentials. Leave only the essentials. Simplify. Don’t create complicated action plans. Connect with people who can assist you. Then start implementation. Remember simplify. Don’t stress yourself. When everything is covered, wait for the result. Be patient. It will come in time.

        Now, remember that when your plan is not aligned with God’s, it will meet hitches along the way. So as you revisit your plan and decide to execute the details, keep God onboard.

        For a final touch, add a key ingredient - focus. Commit not to get distracted by anything or anyone that comes along the way. Remember the plan has been stored for a long time. Focus on fulfilling it now and enjoy the rewards soon after. 

Food for thought:

Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.

- Martin Luther King, Jr.