First thing this morning I observed a large flock of pelicans in flight. They were flying over the Briones, which are the hills near my home. It was a large flock, much larger than I have seen in the past. When nature or creatures in nature catch my notice I pay attention. I call upon the wisdom of Native American teachings to glean a deeper understanding of what is being shown to me. In this case I consulted, “Animal Speak” by Ted Andrews. He speaks of pelicans as a “symbol of freeing yourself from the emotions or things weighing you down.” That information began a reflection for me.
I began to assess if there was anything weighing me down and if so what did they entail? It is a good practice to check in with the self to notice what is there. Determine if it is serving you or causing a heaviness that is keeping you grounded.
In our culture most of us are so busy that we can’t readily determine if we are being weighed down. Here are a few clues that this may be the case. If you are feeling heavy in your mind, emotions or spirit there could be a weight. Perhaps you are fatigued, scattered or unfocused. Maybe you feel put upon or taken advantage of by a person or people in your life. There could be a host of symptoms that show up for you. Slow down and take a few moments to see what presents itself to you.
A lot of times we are carrying or holding on to stuff that will lift us if we simply let it go. I know it is not always easy to do so but being lighter sure feels better. The pelican reminds you that you can free yourself from all that is weighing you down. We all can. Just like the pelicans we can bob on the water and glide effortlessly in the sky. We can rise above it when we release the weight. Happy flying!
