Be a Wild Thing . . .
“I never saw a wild thing feel sorry for itself. A small bird will fall frozen dead from a bough without having felt sorry for itself.” – D.H. Lawrence
If you’re not familiar with the above image of Demi Moore or the quote from D.H. Lawrence, both are from one of my favorite movies, “G.I. Jane.” It’s woman power, trailblazing, conquering, etc. It’s fabulous and I pray to play G.I. Jane in the remake, whenever that comes up or around again. Remakes of good movies always happen, that’s for another post though.
When I first heard that above quote I was about 11 years old and fell in love with it! It was powerful, touching, and deep. Her senior officer who doubted her throughout the entire movie gives her the quote in the last scene and was certainly comparing her to the wild thing.
Watching this movie again a couple of weeks ago, I had to ask myself…am I a wild thing…would I be able to be that bird? And if the bird doesn’t feel sorry for himself, what does he feel?
All I could come up with is responsibility and acceptance.
It’s not the bird’s fault that the weather is cold, but the bird is responsible for where he is. He could fly to some place warmer, but what if he isn’t wired that way? I suppose he accepts that he will freeze to death. Thank goodness our wiring is changeable.
Feeling sorry for one’s self/self-pity or making excuses makes us not wild things, but false victims. Some circumstances we did not choose, they just happened, and many circumstances we’ve chosen. Regardless, none of us are stuck.
“The bus ran me over in life and then I started driving the bus.” – Joyce Meyers
Everyday we make several choices – answer that text right now or continue writing (ha that just happened – I chose to keep writing, I can respond when I’m done), allow distractions or be disciplined, eat the cake for momentary instant gratification, or say no and become more disciplined, use the credit card or sale some items you didn’t need anyways. Everyday we make choices that push us towards our goals or away. Yes, away, we don’t have forever.
Sometimes moving from the bough means being uncomfortable. Often in the present we think this is how it will be forever, or even worse we think of our future with our past attached.
“I will not live a known past in an unknown future.” – Courtney Lindsay
You can be and do all things you want to be and do. If for someone reason you think you can’t, who said you couldn’t? And just know you’re believing a lie. And not to sound cliché, but the saying, “Someone out there with less is doing more,” is true. You can do more, you can do better, and you can do it.
“I can do all things through Christ, Who strengthens me.” – Philippians 4:13
“Your mind has two functions. The memory to replay the past and the imagination to preplay the future. Without a picture of your future, you go back to your past.” – Mike Murdock
“God will not have His work made manifest by cowards.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Be bold, be wild.