Every November, we host a work luncheon for our employees.  Grape harvest has come to a close and it is a way for us to say thank you for their hard work throughout the year.  Ordinarily, we’d spend time giving a recap of the year with highlights, takeaways, things learned, statistics, etc.  But, this year felt different.  We decided to scrap this season’s summary and talk to our employees about something that we felt was enormously more important; mental health. 

Over the last three years, many of our employees have been affected by health struggles, financial pressures, marital stress, death, etc. Worry and anxiety were compounded by the heap of uncertainty in the world coming off the heals of a global pandemic.  The impact on our employees was hugely evident and has had a collective effect on the overall health of our organization.  As such, it was important to my husband and I to 1) validate where our employees have been and 2) give them a tool that has personally helped us navigate similar challenges over the last few years.  The tool?  Eagle mentality.

…but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40: 31

Eagles are beautiful and amazing creatures.  They are a symbol of courage and strength. The eagle serves as the national bird of the US and is pictured on our Great Seal.  Eagles are sometimes referred to as the king of the sky.  They fly beautifully high, soaring to heights that no other bird can go.  A lot can be learned from the eagle.  When applied to our daily mindset, what can develop is an “eagle mentality.”  

• AMAZING VISION. A human with perfect eyesight has 20/20 vision. Bald eagles can have 20/4 or 20/5 vision, meaning they can see four or five times farther than the average person. A bald eagle can spot prey the size of a rabbit three miles away! Eagle eyes are so huge they fill most of its skull.  Their vision is clear and strong.  Do you have a clear vision in the present place in your life?

• FLY ALONE.  Eagles can fly as high as 10,000 to 20,000 feet above sea level, flying higher than all other birds and often times alone.  Unlike chickens, they do not stand idly by following the masses.  Where do you need to find the courage to fly solo sometimes?

• NEVER PECK IN THE DUST:   Chickens peck in the dust, eagles do not.  It is frivolous.  Stay forward focused.  Don’t give the past a place in your present.  Where is it time for you to move forward, regardless of how you feel at the moment?

• FLY ABOVE THE STORM:  Eagles welcome the storm, using the strong winds to fly higher.  Where can you find opportunities within the challenges?  How can you embrace the difficulty?

• SHED OLD FEATHERS:  Eagles shed worn feathers. They don’t hold onto what doesn’t build them up.  Are there toxic things that you need to be rid of?  Relationship, job, friend, habit?

• STAY RESILIENT:  Eagles are resilient.  They turn challenges into opportunities.  Resilience is getting back up  each time you are knocked down and continuing to move forward.  Where do you need to build resilience?

• NEVER SURRENDER: No matter the size or strength of its prey, eagles never surrender.  They will always put up a strong fight to win or regain territory.  Are you willing to fight for what’s important to you?

Grabbing ahold of an eagle mentality can be life-altering in the face of adversity.   It can strengthen us in situations that otherwise might break us.  In the 2006 Rocky Balboa movie, there is a scene in which Rocky is confronted by his son about adversity.  His son is complaining about the difficulties he’s experienced in life due to his dad’s notoriety.  Rocky’s response,  “The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows.  It a very mean and nasty place.  And I don’t care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it.  You, me or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard you get hit, it’s about how hard you get can get hit and keep moving forward.  That’s how “winning” is done.” 

His point is clear; until you start thinking correctly about your circumstances, you’ll go no where.  The way we think about our situations determines whether we win or lose in life.  The same is true for you and I.  How can you find the courage to rise above your daily battles?  Maybe it’s a renewed vision for life.  Or, leaving a friend group that pulls you down instead of lifting you up?  Or, a habit that you are a slave to?  Whatever it is, I want to encourage you to make the changes to live your best life.  After all, we only get one.