There are plenty of mundane aspects in our life. Our morning routine, which includes waking up in the morning, brushing our teeth using the same old toothbrush, getting ready for the day’s activities – wearing the same uniform, and having the same breakfast, going in the same yellow school bus that turns up at your doorstep every morning whether we like it or not.
On our way to school, we see the same things that we see every day. As we pass through our neighborhood, we envy all the old aunties and toddlers who don’t need to go to school or worry about exams and homework. Our jealousy is directed towards every Tom, Dick and Harry who passes by.
We even feel jealous of the cats and dogs in the alley, and the birds who as far as we’re concerned, have nothing much to do except to keep chirping the whole day long. According to us, the crows, sparrows and the pigeons don’t seem to have a worry in life. The crow tops this list.
A wisdom far beyond our idea of knowledge
The average crow population is increasing year after year. Every Indian city is teeming with crows found in every nook and corner. They can be seen perched idly on a wire, staring at the distance or looking on as we carry on with our daily activities. All this chaos and commotion might seem very absurd to it.
When a crow comes across our way, we try to shoo it away or scare it. But the crow is not one to hold a grudge against us. In its peculiar gaze and demeanor, it carries the wisdom of a learned one who has grown old with a past full of the experiences of its youth.
If only it could speak, the crow would have a lot to tell us. It isn’t true that crows don’t have a worry in life. It does. A crow’s life isn’t a pretty postcard. It has to compete with its fellow crows in order to survive. It lives on its instincts in a competitive atmosphere.
Instinct for survival
We have learnt that the animal world is based on the theory of Survival of the Fittest’ which is founded on another notion known as ‘might is right’. This means that crows must develop the knack to survive and have the ability to sense all kinds of danger. This necessitates the need to prove itself among its counterparts.
The crow is just a regular bird. It doesn’t boast of any special features or qualities. According to current notions of beauty, the crow cannot be regarded a beautiful creature. It makes a nuisance with its constant cawing and loves to eat from garbage piles.
These factors together make it fit to be placed in the lowest ranks of the bird community. Despite all of these reasons that seem to prove that it is not an attractive bird, we have to admit that it is the most hardworking and sociable creature of all birds.
It teaches us some important life lessons that no textbook can teach us. Beyond its dark complexion, it holds a wisdom far beyond its age. Here are three lessons that the crow teaches us:
Be prepared for change
‘Life is for the living and he who lives must be prepared for changes’ – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
One important life lesson that the crow teaches us is that we must be prepared for changes. Life is a mix of ups and downs. No one can expect a same routine every day. It is true that our way of life is entirely different from that of a crow. We have ambitious goals and plans.
For this, we might have chalked out a schedule to be followed in order to reach our goal. But sometimes, things go wrong. It may not turn out as we had expected it to. When this happens, we must take a lesson from the crows, who learn to adapt themselves to changes.
When the weather changes, it does the necessary adjustments to its life patterns. When they are unable to find food, they learn to live on scraps. Humans complain about a lot of things. But crows, on the other hand don’t make a hue and cry over minor changes in their life.
They aren’t very particular about anything. This is what we should learn from crows. It is good to have a plan in life. But when things don’t happen according to our plans, we must be brave enough to accept it, to step out of our comfort zone and experience life with all its drama and emotions, just as the little blue fish from deep sea reminded us to ‘just keep swimming’.
Stop procrastinating and ‘Live like there’s no tomorrow’
Procrastination refers to putting off an activity one planned to do to a later period. When we have a huge workload of assignments and projects to finish, we tend to postpone it until the day before the deadline. The act of procrastinating work is a common tendency among all youngsters.
We would rather do it later than do it immediately. But we must realize that life is short. Take it from the crow that has to rely on its instincts in order to survive. Crows can never afford to procrastinate. They have to be wary of their surroundings.
It is our belief that we have been given a safe and secure life that tempts us to postpone our work. Instead, we must learn to live in the moment, just like the crow does. This will put an end the mounting pile of work that always appears before us.
Practice a simple way of life
The crow is a true example of a minimalist way of living. Although it doesn’t need all the necessities that we require, it does have its own share of needs that are extremely important for its survival. One can say that the crow is a true Gandhian.
It lives a simple, unsophisticated existence unlike humans who are very particular about small matters. Crows learn to co-exist with human beings. They live in perfect harmony with us. They also practice community living advocated by Gandhi. We can take a leaf out its book and learn to live a simple, peaceful life.
Crows are not just the dark-feathered birds we see everywhere. It also teaches us certain rules of life. It might seem amusing that a mere bird could impart life lessons to humans. But there are times when human beings lose their sense of vice and virtue, their ability to discern between what is right and what isn’t.
In such situations, birds and animals seem to be more sensible than us. The crow is one such creature. When you get tired of listening to advice from your elders, take a look outside the window and you will see a crow, perched on an electric wire, eager to share its experiences with us.
Leave a Reply