The Story
There was a boy who had a baby bird in his hand and wanted to play a trick on an old man he saw standing nearby. The boy says “I’m going to go up to that old man and ask him if the bird in my hands is dead or alive. If the man says the bird is alive I will crush it, open my hands and say, ‘ahh, the bird is dead. If the man says the bird is dead, I will open my hands and let it fly away.”
The boy goes up to the old man and says, “Mister, I have a bird in my hands. Is this bird dead or alive?” The old man looks at the boy’s hands for a moment and then slowly raises his eyes. Son,” the man says staring directly into the boys eyes, “The bird is in your hands. Whatever you decide to do with it shall determine its fate.”
Moral of the Story
The bird in this story represents your future. Like the boy with the bird, your future is in your hands. As the boy will decide the fate of the bird, you too will decide the fate of your future by the choices you make. You can choose to crush it, or choose to let it fly as high as you want. The bird is in your hands.
When I talk about future, I’m talking about your immediate future (tomorrow, next week, a month from now) and distant future (5 years, 10 year, 20 years from now). Either way, your future is in your hands. One of those choices you will have to make is called the ultimate choice. And believe me, it’s not called the Ultimate Choice for nothing.
Ever been put down or disrespected in some way by other people? You know, been called names, been physically disrespected or abused, been purposely left out or ignored, been personally bullied or cyber bullied, been made to feel that you are just not as good as everyone else? Well, join the club.
I don’t know, but for one reason or another some of us teenagers have this misconception that we are the only ones who have ever been put down or disrespected by other people. Truth is, it happens to Everyone from time to time. I don’t care who you are. Not only does it happen to everyone, but it can come from anyone; even from people we don’t expect.
For example, I have teenage friends who have had bad things said or done to them by their own parents which made them feel worthless. Then again, I have friends who came from good homes and the ridicule they received was more from places like school, a party, out on a date, or just hanging out with a group of friends.
No matter where it comes from or who does it, it’s important to understand this:
There will always be people in this world who feel so insecure and unsure about themselves that bringing down others is the only way they can built themselves up and feel better about who they are.
That’s Just The Way It Is.
I want to ask my peers and important question. When you are put down or disrespected by someone, how does it make you feel?How do you react to it? In lies The Ultimate Choice you must now make. It is a choice that could have a major impact upon your life, so think on it hard: “How do you emotionally respond to the negative things that are said or done to you by other people? Do you keep it all inside, internalizing it and allow it to make you hate who you are?” Do you allow what is said or done to you to define what kind of person you are; like you’re actually a bad person for what happened or that everything is always your fault so therefore you must be no good? (Us Teenagers are famous for blaming themselves for things they have no control over and that are not their fault.) Do you get depressed or down on yourself when others disrespect you?
Or
Do you believe that the people with the biggest mouth have the smallest mind and that no one, no one can make you “Hate who you are without You allowing it to happen first? (By not allowing it to happen, you always win. That’s right you always win)
Do you believe that millions of people can put you down, and yet none of it matters if you believe in yourself first? Do you believe that that you have a life to lead and that you need to get on with your life and deal with only those things you have control over and not the things you don’t.
However you respond to the bad things people say or do to you; WHATEVER CHOICE YOU MAKE, ALWAYS REMEMBER THIS:
The bird is in your hands; Not in the hands of those who bring you down. But in your hands!
YOU DO HAVE A CHOICE & IT’S NEVER TO LATE TO MAKE IT!!!