As a writer very often I face uncertain times, and have to make decisions regarding my future. Quite often I’ve hesitated, but one story retold by another writer has always helped me make decisions, and not hesitate too much. This is the other writer’s story, through an incident he captured:
“When I was a young writer with a very uncertain income, I went into a quiet park to contemplate a serious problem. For four years I had been engaged but didn’t dare to marry. There was no way of foreseeing how little I might earn in the next year; moreover, we had long cherished a plan of living and writing in Paris, Rome, Vienna, London–everywhere. But how could we go three thousand miles away from everything that was familiar and secure, without the certainty of some money now and then?
At that moment I looked up and saw a squirrel jump from one high tree to another. He appeared to be aiming for a limb so far out of reach that the leap looked like suicide. He missed–but landed, safe and unconcerned, on a branch several feet lower. Then he climbed to his goal, and all was well. An old man sitting on the bench said, “Funny, I’ve seen hundreds of ’em jump like that, especially when there are dogs around and they can’t come down to the ground. A lot of ’em miss, but I’ve never seen any hurt in trying.” Then he chuckled. “I guess they’ve got to risk it if they don’t want to spend their lives in one tree!”
I thought: A squirrel takes a chance–have I less nerve than a squirrel? We were married in two weeks, scraped up enough money for our passage and sailed across the Atlantic–jumping off into space, not sure what branch we’d land on. I began to write twice as fast and twice as hard as ever before. And to our amazement we promptly soared into the realm of respectable incomes.
Since then, whenever I have to choose between risking a new venture or hanging back, those five little words run through my thoughts: “Once there was a squirrel..”
And sometimes I hear the old man on the park bench saying, “They’ve got to risk it if they don’t want to spend their lives in one tree.”
Yes that’s true isn’t it? Not only with writers, but with anybody who follow a dream. I don’t know what your dream is dear reader. But like the squirrel, you need to jump or you will spend the rest of your life on the same tree.
Let’s pursue our dreams and jump to the next tree..!
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Robert Clements is a newspaper columnist and writes a daily column, which has graced the pages of over 60 newspapers and magazines, from a daily column in the Khaleej Times, Dubai, the Morning Star, London, and in nearly every state in India, from The Statesman in Kolkata, to the Kashmir Times in Kashmir to the Trinity Mirror in Chennai.
How very true. No risk no gain. Many of us (like me) get into a comfort zone and can’t get off the perch on which we have dug our heels. Later in life we regret.
Undoubtedly, there is a God who daily bears our burdens and underneath are His everlasting arms. A lesson on how to be courageous. It caught my attention. A lesson to remember. Lovely ????
Very honest Bob. Indeed the leap of faith is very important in each and everyones life. Sometimes you may land safely sometimes you may not, but leap is necessary.
Indeed the leap of faith is very important in each and everyones life. Sometimes you may land safely sometimes you may not, but leap is necessary.
No Leap. Uncertain Future. I dared to travel to the Gulf n never looked back. Today I’m a much different person. Grateful to Him for that Leap.
Beautiful article. Well said. To be frank Bob, after my morning coffee, your banter is my next best thing to start the day.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. If at once you don’t succeed, try try try again. It is practice that makes one perfect in anything. Persist consistently to accomplish a goal. Each misstep is a stepping stone to it.It’s not a failure , as failure is final only if one quits trying.????????