I saw a hawk swoop down and snag a squirrel for breakfast today. The hawk was happy. The squirrel, not so much. In nature there are consequences. The squirrel paid a high price by darting out in the open and not staying close to the trees. The hawk was very happy to teach the other squirrels an important lesson. They need to think about the consequences before they do something they’ll regret. This is really good advice to think about before we send that angry email or text. Some things we get angry about are just not important. They’re important to us at the moment, but really, in the whole scope of life how big a deal is it? Think about the consequences. It will pay big dividends for you.
consequences
Thinking Out Loud: There are Consequences to Our Actions
Today’s Thinking Out Loud reflection is on Harper Lee’s work, To Kill a Mockingbird.
“Atticus said to Jem one day, “I’d rather you shot at tin cans in the backyard, but I know you’ll go after birds. Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”
That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it.
“Your father’s right,” she said. “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing except make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corn cribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
Note: When a developer drains a swamp destroying the habitat for thousands of animals, the developer destroys something beautiful and innocent in his/her quest for money. When we shame and condemn another, we, like the developer, destroy a part of the person being shamed. When we use false statements to support a lie we degrade ourselves in the process. All the mockingbird does is to sing. I have mockingbirds that frequently visit my yard and compete with me for ripened figs. They always win. I also win because I hear them singing. It’s better to consider the consequences of our actions before we act.
Thinking Out Loud ~ A Lesson from Aesop’s Fables about Consequences
Today’s Thinking Out Loud reflection is on Aesop’s Fable, The Mistress and Her Servants. Aesop’s Fables is available for free download here.
The Fable
“A Widow, thrifty and industrious, had two servants, whom she
kept pretty hard at work. They were not allowed to lie long abed in
the mornings, but the old lady had them up and doing as soon as the
cock crew. They disliked intensely having to get up at such an
hour, especially in winter-time: and they thought that if it were
not for the cock waking up their Mistress so horribly early, they
could sleep longer. So they caught it and wrung its neck. But they
weren’t prepared for the consequences. For what happened was that
their Mistress, not hearing the cock crow as usual, waked them up
earlier than ever, and set them to work in the middle of the
night.
”
Note: I live near a large park with wilderness trails, warnings of rattlesnakes, coyotes, mountain lions, javelinas and more. I do not stray off the created trails. I witnessed a hawk diving toward an open space and snagging a squirrel. Good for the hawk, tough for the squirrel. There are consequences in nature. There are also consequences in our lives. Although we cannot foresee what will happen, we can predict outcomes with a high degree of accuracy. For example, if I continually show up late for work, I’ll be fired. Conversely, if I apply myself and work hard, I’ll succeed. Consequences can be good or bad. We have a choice.
Thinking Out Loud ~ Thinking About Consequences ~ A Lesson from Aesop’s Fables
Today’s Thinking Out Loud reflection is on Aesop’s Fable, The Boys and the Frog. Aesop’s Fables is available for free download here.
The Fable
“Some mischievous Boys were playing on the edge of a pond, and,
catching sight of some Frogs swimming about in the shallow water,
they began to amuse themselves by pelting them with stones, and
they killed several of them. At last one of the Frogs put his head
out of the water and said, “Oh, stop! stop! I beg of you: what is
sport to you is death to us.”
Note: When I read this fable I thought about how I could apply it to contemporary society. The thoughts streamed through my mind. I thought about people racing down the road where the speed limit is 40 miles an hour. They’re traveling at 70 miles per hour. There are consequences to everything we do. What’s a game to them but it could be a death trap for people trying to obey the law. What about people who use social media to bully others, make fun of others, and disrespect others? What’s fun to them really hurts other people. It’s good to look at what we do and reflect on it. When we do something that hurts others it’s also hurting us as well; we may not realize it but it does. I like the saying treat other people as you would like to be treated.
Today’s Power Thought ~ There are Consequences
“How you make your bed will determine how well you’ll sleep (Polish proverb).” There are consequences to all our actions. When we think about it this way, we become aware of the affect of our actions on others. The recent actions by a professional basketball player (US) provides a clear example. He made a public anti-semitic statement . It wasn’t until he was suspended for five days that he finally issued an apology. If he thought about the consequences of his actions, hopefully, he would have made a better choice. Actions have consequences, good or bad. Here’s hoping all your actions result in positive consequences.
Something to Think About
Consequences happen. We can deny the existence of reality and use language to support our erroneous claims. Yet, there are consequences for all of our actions they are coming like the rising of the sun. Consequences are like my credit card, they come due. If I don’t pay my credit card on time, there’s interest to pay. There’s no way out. It’s true with credit cards and it’s true in our lives.
