Birthed into a shell, the bird does not realize who he is. Yet in due time nature speaks and the bird somehow knows that it must now break through its shell or die. Now into a new world foreign to him, equipped only with his innate ability passed down through genetics, he must begin to nourish his body or face impending doom. His mother will feed him initially, but in time, he must learn to do it on his own.

Not yet fully aware of who he is, it is acceptable that the baby bird depends on his mother. When the bird reaches maturity, he must now learn to fend for himself. Seemingly cruel, the mother bird pushes her young from the tree. Not so that they may perish, but that they may begin to realize their potential. Once the bird is pushed from the nest, he begins to flap with all of his strength. Soon he is flying and off to serve a purpose as others did before him.

It is in all of nature to progress, but we humans, more often than seen in other species, tend to become stagnant. Are we malnourished mentally or bound by fear of what if or what is? Do we not realize who we are? What’s stopping us from reaching our full potential? Just like the baby bird, we must have proper nourishment before we are strong enough to take flight. We must nourish ourselves physically, mentally and spiritually.

1. Physical Nourishment: My wife always looks out for me physically, making sure that I’m eating healthy and not consuming too much sugar in my diet. However, there’s only so much that she can do in that department. Without my participation, her efforts become null and void. I need to make sure that I’m eating right, engaging in proper exercise and getting enough sleep. I’m so driven at times that I struggle with sleep, but I know that it’s crucial to my daily performance; therefore, it’s important that I make adjustments.

2. Mental Nourishment: Immerse yourself in learning. Don’t ever cease in your desire to learn new things, especially as it relates to your chosen craft. I love reading books. The library is a place where you can find books written by the best minds in every industry. They condense the best of their knowledge into roughly 300 pages. It’s already paid for by your tax dollars. All you need to do is go check them out. It’s like getting a six-figure education at no additional charge.

3. Spiritual Nourishment: Although it’s a struggle at times, I have to find alone time where I can just be in silence, with nothing but the sound of nature. When I’m alone in nature, it allows me to center myself. The more often I get away for meditation, the more often I find myself in a steady state of peace. I consider my spiritual self to be my core, because it also makes me more consistent with my physical and mental self.

I’m not a fan of cookie cutter advice, so I definitely recommend looking within yourself and finding what works for you. What I’ve written might just serve as a good starting point. I do believe that you are meant for greatness and I wish to see you spread your wings and fly.

Eric L. Lipsey
President/Co-Founder
Phoenix Business Development