Scared Baby Bird Syndrome

You know that saying, “leap and the net will appear”? I always hated that saying. I need to see the net or I’m not going anywhere. Additionally, said net better be properly and safely reinforced and I must see one or two other people leap before I make a final decision. Building the trust in myself to take a leap and know it will all work out has been the work of my life.

A couple of years ago I began to lovingly refer to getting stuck in the “knowledge collection” stage as “Scared Baby Bird Syndrome.”

Baby Bird is very cute and very comfortable. It feeds on the worms of knowledge and comfort and stays happily in its nest. Although Baby Bird knows deep down in its heart it yearns to fly, the rational part of its brain convinces it otherwise every time the topic is broached.

Some of you have been flying since you can remember. You collect the knowledge along the way. You crash more than some, but it’s these experiences that build you up (and give you some great stories). Some of you have tempered your learning with watching, trying, evaluating, and trying again.

My story might seem silly to you. The Scared Baby Bird is the story of my life, though. I want to anticipate every problem that could possibly befall me. I want to be READY! So I delay my moves, comfortably nesting, sure tomorrow will cradle me with another chance, if I choose to take it.

Scared Baby Birds will eventually fall out of the nest (tragedy, loss, time) and drag themselves off the ground or succumb (that sounds so dark, but let’s be real about the agony of never doing what you truly want to do in life because of fear). Attempting to control the situation by anticipating every scenario really just does one thing: it controls you.

Convincing the Scared Baby Bird to give it a clunky, imperfect try is something I’m getting better at. The flight is never as bad as my bird brain has led me to believe, and perhaps most uplifting is that I always survive the fall when I give it a try. So yes, begrudgingly, the net appears. Sometimes you fall face first into the net and have to scream the whole way down, but amazingly, you’re not dead.

There’s nothing wrong with nesting, collecting information, and resting. But it must come with balance. If you’re feeling stuck, consider if it’s time to try something that feels a little scary or different.