Winning Tips from the Great Blue Heron for the New Work World
We are all seeking wisdom to rebound from the recent setbacks of the past several months and move in a more positive direction. Sometimes we find that power and inspiration come from unusual sources. This morning on my walk with my dogs my insight came to me from a Great Blue Heron flying above.
Blue Herons have always held a special significance for me. These birds have been known throughout the ages to symbolize a deeper look into aspects of your life. In so doing, it will bring out your own personal wisdom and demonstrate how you can get into alignment with your talents and strengths and become your very best self. Essentially, it reminds me of the first step of the Faremouth Method™—Do a Self Inventory.
These graceful birds have appeared to me in the past at times when there has been a significant event or change in my life. When I reflect on the research I have done on the symbolism of these birds, I found some interesting correlations of how this bird might offer some helpful tips for what we all are experiencing now in the New Work World.
Blue Herons have been known to stand out in their uniqueness, and they know how to make the best out of unusual situations that many people would find extremely challenging. When the heron flies, its head is folded back in a flat S-shaped loop. This reflects the innate wisdom of being able to maneuver through life and control its life circumstances. It suggests a need for those who have this bird around them to follow their own innate wisdom and path of self-determination. (Ted Andrews, Animal Speak).
With so many changes taking place in the New Work World these days, let’s look at six winning tips this bird might be teaching us to expand our personal power and to become more successful in present and future career endeavors:
1. Honor Your Special Talents and Uniqueness
Blue Herons have the wisdom of being able to maneuver through life and be innovative in creating their own circumstances. What you have been doing for the last several years may not have the same demand of opportunity for growth on your career path. You may have to carve out another job opportunity by doing your own research on what positions and skill sets are now prevalent. Take the time to investigate how your uniqueness, interests, and passions can contribute in a way that adds value to a prospective company and allows you to thrive in ways that bring you more joy and fulfillment.
2. Be a Hunter
Herons are aggressive hunters and eat a wide variety in their diet which includes fish and frogs, but they also eat other creatures. Take the time now to nourish yourself by investigating new approaches to connect with prospective employers that go beyond the traditional ways of finding a job. Seek out online classes that can advance your skillset, increase your networking circle, and get involved in ways that allow you to give back to society and help others that in turn may foster good relationships and allow you to have an enhanced feeling of self-esteem and self-worth.
3. Strategic Maneuvers
Blue Herons have been known to have strategic precision and strike with their sharp bills to attack their target. How strategic have you become in your efforts to enhance your career? Are you using a particular method, career coach, previous bosses, and mentors, taking workshop intensives and webinars, to become more employable? You need to have a strategy going forward that allows you to also be accountable and have a plan of action that will enable you to get results in a more expeditious way.
4. Alone Time
Herons spend a lot of time alone, apart from other birds, in silent reflection before they decide to strike their target. This alone time for you might be spent in Meditation, Yoga, or Mindfulness Practices where you get centered and calm enough to ponder and investigate your efforts to advance your personal and professional goals. The pandemic has forced many of us to have more alone time away from friends and family. It also may have allowed us to stop the go-go-go actives that took us away from deep reflection to allow us to reconnect with our inner goals and strengths.
5. Persistent Determination
Herons have been known to be patient and persistent predators and can wait for a long time before executing their attack. They seem to know the best time and environment in which to stand and wait. How long can you stay focused on your employment path without losing patience? If you seem to not be getting results, change your path and move to a different situation or strategy that might yield better results. Einstein said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.
6. Discover Alternatives
If the Heron is placed in a particular spot for too long without the results of their quest, they move to a different vantage point. Traditional ways of finding a job may not be working in the new work environment. If your resume is outdated with information that doesn’t reflect a related skill set with the right keywords, discover alternative ways of presenting your information in an honest and true way that will yield better results with the employers of this New Work World.
Consider the methods of the symbolic Heron that might open your eyes to probe deeper into aspects of your personal and professional goals. In so doing, it will bring out your inner wisdom and expand your experiences to become more comfortable in these uncertain times and situations. You do have what it takes to overcome all the challenges and land on stable ground to experience your own personal flight into areas of growth and self-development. This is a perfect time for evaluation of yourself and what your employment needs are now becoming. This is a re-emerging by taking into account who you have been, who you are now, and who you will be becoming in the new working environment upon us. Things have evolved over this past year and we have had to adapt to this ever-changing new set of circumstances we are now living in and growing into. We have had to adapt to new skills by building upon the old skills we already had. We are putting these newly acquired skills into our imaginary backpacks as we grow into the new person and the new employee we are becoming as we ready ourselves to take on the challenge at hand. That Great Blue Heron flying above has more to teach us than we might imagine as we mimic its strategies for obtaining what we want. There is so much richness that we can adopt by watching and observing its strategies. The most notable things to look at are what we desire, focus on what will achieve those wants, and educate ourselves on what it will take to get there.
Mary Ann Faremouth has been a regular contributor to the USA Daily Post since April of 2020.
