When Push Comes to Shove
ACTION Makes It Happen
by Phylis Clay Sparks

    What comes to mind when you think of  action? You might think of action as doing something, such as a performance, a transaction, a behavior, a motion, an effort, etc. But sometimes when action is needed, we do nothing at all or wait for someone else to do it — or distract ourselves by doing something else.
    We think a lot of thoughts, we dream many dreams, but there comes a time when we must take action. As the old Russian proverb says, “Pray to God, but keep rowing toward the shore.”
    We live in a reciprocal universe, where there’s action-reaction — cause-effect. Little happens unless we first have movement or action — something to create an effect.
    Suppose there were five birds sitting on a wire and three of them decided to fly away. How many birds would be left on the wire? Most people would say, “There would be two birds left on the wire.” But they would be wrong. There would still be five birds on the wire. Making a decision to fly isn’t the same as flying. Likewise, when we make a decision without acting on it, nothing will happen.
    The worst possible thing we can do if we want something to get done is to assume someone else will do it.
    It’s like this. There once were four people whose names were Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody respectively. An important job had to be done. Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, and that Somebody would do it. But Nobody realized that Everybody thought Somebody would do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.
    Now back to the birds on the wire. As the five birds sat on the wire, they looked beneath them at the nest from which they had just taken their first flight. One bird was still in the nest. Let’s call him Charlie.
    Charlie sat perched on the edge of the nest, poised for flight, but he couldn’t get up enough courage to jump. So, he sat there all day remembering how he had watched his brothers and sisters take off that morning.  And he could see them sitting on the wire high above him, waiting for him to join them. What was the problem? Charlie thought, “Birds are born to fly.” 
    He certainly had a burning desire to fly. In fact, that desire was so strong it made him quiver with excitement. And, Charlie said, “I’m a bird, so that means I can fly, too. I believe that!” But there he sat, frozen.
    Then Charlie’s mother returned and perched beside him on the edge of the nest, and said, “What’s wrong, Charlie, why aren’t you flying like your brothers and sisters?  Don’t you believe you can fly?”
    Charlie answered, “Yes, I believe I can fly, but I think I’ve sat here too long and my wings won’t work because I’ve sat here too long. I’ve missed my chance. There must be something wrong with me.”
    His mom lovingly replied, “See, Charlie?  You don’t really believe you can fly or you would have flown by now. It’s your belief that isn’t working, not your wings. There’s nothing wrong with you.”
    With that, his mother extended her wing and gave Charlie a gentle shove that knocked him off balance. Charlie began to fall off the edge of the nest, but then he did what he was born to do. He flapped his wings — and flew.
    Remember, a person can’t hit a home run unless he/she steps up to the plate and swings. You can’t catch fish unless you put a line in the water. You can’t reach your goals unless you actually do something.     
    Examine the areas in which you are procrastinating, avoiding or worrying about. If you are not taking action, you may not believe you can do it, or you may be afraid of failing. Well, remember Charlie’s mom. Give yourself a gentle push and you'll fly higher, farther and better than you ever thought possible.