Today’s book review is “Even Eagles Needs a Push” by David McNally, which came out in 1990. I first read this book over 25 years ago, and it’s one I’ve kept in my book collection ever since.
The title of this book speaks to the fact that we must overcome our fear of falling before we can enjoy the thrill of soaring.
Now you may already know this, but in case you don’t: there is a long-held belief that eagles push their young out of the nest in order to teach them how to fly.
There are no flying lessons or practicing; they just decide one day that it’s time for their little baby to learn how to soar on their own. They don’t ask them if they’re ready, they don’t overthink it, they just decide and do it.
The author points out that eagles cannot truly understand the privilege of being born an eagle until they are pushed out of their nest. In reality, this is just a myth. Adult eagles use encouragement rather than force to teach their eaglets to fly.
Regardless, the notion of overcoming the fear of falling before we can experience the thrill of soaring is an idea I’ve carried with me for most of my adult life. I am a chronic overthinker. Poster boy for “paralysis by analysis.” I tend to make a list in my mind of everything that could go wrong and ruminate on it until I decide it’s not worth it.
Only until recently have I decided to do it anyway. I started writing and sharing it with the world. I started a blog, began posting on Medium, and even put out my first book. It’s been a little scary, but more times than not, exciting and fulfilling.
If you’ve been struggling with an idea, passion, or project that you’ve been thinking to death, now is the time to breathe some life into it. Take one small step toward making it happen. Overcome your fear. Push yourself out of the nest.
If you need a little extra help, pick up a copy of this book. I promise it will help you.
I really enjoy all of the self-analysis exercises, dealing with such topics as:
What are your limiting beliefs?
How do you define success?
What are your individual strengths, skills, and talents?
What is your life’s purpose?
How do you put it all together to live a Full Life?
My biggest takeaway is how different my answers were when I went through the exercises recently than when I first read this book over 2 decades ago. Time has a way of changing how we look at ourselves and the world around us. Needless to say, I have a little more wisdom in my 50s than I had in my late 20s, and I certainly know myself a little better.
If you own this book, but it’s been a while since you went through the exercises and asked yourself some of these questions, take the time to go back through them. Take a leap out of the comfort of your own nest.
If you’ve never heard of this book before, do your future self a favor and get a copy. You can find a link to buy it below.
I’ll leave you with a quote from the book. According to the author, we must:
“Learn from yesterday, do well the tasks of today, and tomorrow will look after itself.”
Are you ready to start flying? If so, push yourself to start making an IMPACT today, so you can lead a FULL LIFE!!
To purchase the book, click here. (Amazon affiliate link)