One of the fables attributed to the Greek slave and storyteller Aesop (620-564 BCE) is about a deer gazing at its reflection in a pond. The deer was proud of its antlers, which were a thing of beauty and were more elegant by far than those of any deer in the forest. As he continued to look at his reflection, he caught sight of his legs which, like those of every deer, were skinny and unattractive. The buck loved his antlers but detested his legs. While in this state of reflection, the barking of hounds could be heard in the distance, an indication that hunters were approaching and that meant that the deer was in danger. As he began to run, the legs he so despised carried him farther away from his pursuers, but as he entered into the heart of the forest his antlers got caught on low-lying branches allowing the hunters to overtake and capture him.
When we reflect on ourselves, when we gaze upon what we consider our strengths and weaknesses - physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual - many of us are prone to judge ourselves by our culture's standards. We look for and appreciate those qualities that make us stand apart from others. And we may think that others might be envious of these qualities, such as our talents, wealth, beauty, intelligence, holiness and the like.
It's good to count our blessings and to be honest about and grateful for what we value; however, like the deer at the pond, we can get "hung up" on the low-lying branches of our ego. We can take pride in what we think makes us special but overlook the importance of attributes we have in common with others.
To run the hundred-metre dash in ten seconds is exceptional, but isn't the ability to walk - and talk, and breathe - also amazing? Buddhist monk and teacher Thich Nhat Hanh has said that the miracle isn't walking on water; it's walking on the earth. What is admirable and even miraculous is not just what is exceptional, but what is simple and common.
Much of our unhappiness comes from the failure to appreciate the plain truth of who we are and what we have. There is always someone we admire or something we desire that can make us discontent with ourselves and our life. In the same way, there may be some valued aspect of ourselves that blinds us to the simple miracle of being who we are. Beneath what might make us special and unique, we are all just human together.
Those qualities and abilities we share with most others are too often discounted. But being ordinary rather than extraordinary is what enables us to not only outrun life's hounds and hunters, but to experience and appreciate the person we simply are, our ability to walk on the earth, and our delight in the miracle of life.
Earl Nightingale, an American radio speaker and author, popular in the 1950s, dealing mostly with the subjects of human character development, motivation and meaningful existence, provided the following thoughts on this theme in a lecture he once presented.
“Think of it this way: Your total environment is a reflection of you as a person. The house and neighbourhood in which you live, the car you drive, the clothes you wear, the job you do, the people with whom you regularly associate. Your total environment is an exact and merciless mirror of you as a human being. Now if you feel your environment can stand some improvement, you have only to improve your attitude. And your world will gradually change to reflect the changing person. Here’s how to change your attitude: Beginning now, begin to act like the person you most want to become.” Remember you are unique!
The apostle John succinctly reveals in the following verses, who we are and our relationship to our Heavenly Father with the challenge to grow in Christ: “What marvellous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it – we’re called children of God! That’s who we really are. But that’s also why the world doesn’t recognise us or take us seriously because it has no idea who he is or what he’s up to. But friends, that’s exactly who we are: children of God. And that’s only the beginning. Who knows how we’ll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we’ll see him – and in seeing him, become like him. All of us who look forward to his Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus’ life as a model for our own.”
(1 John 3: 1-3 The Message)
Bill Gillard