Are You An Eagle Or A Duck?

Today's guest blogger Sibylle from Gentle Miracles Coaching is sharing with us Bodo Schäfer's wonderful and humorous distinction between people who are "eagles" or "ducks". 

It's a useful way to spot, who will be of help on your path, and of course how you can help yourself:

This article is based on something I read years ago, in a book by German money guru Bodo Schäfer. 

It’s such a wonderful metaphor, it’s stayed with me ever since, and I find myself applying the principle all the time.

Bodo Schäfer says that people basically come in two versions: 

They are either eagles or they are ducks. 

What he means by this is most of all a difference in attitude. 

Eagles soar, they overview the entire landscape, the “big picture”. They rise above little obstacles and if they come across any vermin, they simply eat them.

Ducks, however? Ducks quack.

Now while ducks are lovely animals, they simply don’t have the scope and the perspective of eagles. 

Schäfer likens these qualities to people and says that “duck” people tend to stay stuck within their own limited horizon. 

Have you ever had to call the customer service department of any company? There always seem to be a lot of ducks working in these! They’ll tell you they can’t help you, and being every sentence with: “Unfortunately, …”

Whilst the ducks are quacking, the eagles will figure out how it can be done. 

Schäfer tells about an occasion when he arrived in a hotel and the receptionist told him there had been a a double-booking and unfortunately, the room wasn’t available any more. 

He kept explaining that the rooms were simply all booked, there was nothing he could do…. Until Schäfer asked to speak to “someone who doesn’t already know it’s impossible.”

That’s when he found an eagle. This person apologised profusely and then told Schäfer to have a drink on the house while she sorted out the situation. 

Within 20 minutes she had organized a small attic room which had been out of use for a while. It was cleaned and fresh bedlinen brought, and to top it all off, Schäfer wasn’t charged for his stay for that night.

Are you beginning to see the picture? Eagles find solutions. Ducks find excuses.

If you ever have a problem or an issue to solve, it’s pretty obvious that you’d want an eagle by your side, rather than a duck. 

What’s more, if you are an eagle yourself, your path through life will be a lot smoother in the first place. Eagles are the types of people who won’t give up at the first obstacle. 

They don’t waste their time “quacking” about the unfairness of life and how hard-done-by they are. Instead, they’ll get a ladder or a pole vault and get past the obstacle, moving closer to their goal.

Want to act more like an eagle? Here are a few tips: 

• Always think in terms of solutions. Instead of thinking up reasons for why something isn’t possible, try and see how it CAN be done. 
• Don’t ever waste time and energy complaining. It might feel comforting to whine and vent to your best friend, but the time would be much better spent on figuring out a solution. 
• When you are faced with a problem which seems overwhelming or unsolvable, take a step back. Resist the temptation to say: “No way!” Rather, take a deep breath, get a cup of coffee or tea, and then make sure you really understand every aspect of the situation. Once you do, start brainstorming ways to tackle the problem. If you have any other eagles around you, it can be very beneficial to involve them in the brainstorming. Don’t censor, just jot down in keywords every crazy idea. Then afterwards, read through your list and determine which of them are feasible. 
• Program your mind to see opportunities rather than obstacles, although it can be a bit of a challenge in a world which is so dominated by negative media. To counter their influence, read books like Cynthia Kersey’s Unstoppable for at least 15 minutes every day. You’ll see a big difference after only a few weeks of doing this. 
• When you are stressed and it seems like you are surrounded by obstacles (or negative people), try and rise above it. Think “eagle” and imagine yourself soaring high into the sky. What’s the big picture? What is the context of the situation? You’re bound to feel much less claustrophobic immediately, and that’s when you think of ways to make it work. 

Happy soaring! I wish you many other eagles along your path.

Here are some questions you can explore with the Tarot:

1. Which traits of the eagle do I need to develop, and how will that help me? 

2. Which traits of the duck do I need to avoid, and how will that help me?

3. In which areas of my career / business is my duck mentality blocking progress, and what can I do to overcome it?

As always, I'd love your feedback, and please take a moment to check out Sibylle's bio below and visit her website. 

This article first appeared in Sibylle's weekly newsletter Monday Sparkles, which I can wholeheartedly recommend.

Warmest wishes,

Christiane

Sibylle is a certified tree hugger and also a trained and experienced Life and Business Coach. She believes that everyone deserves the experience of crystal clarity, laser focus, and achievement that comes with coaching. Sibylle lives on the beautiful West coast of Ireland and works with Coaching Clients from all over the world via Skype.

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