If I wasn’t familiar with the distinctive buzz of this amazing creature, I would likely jump away in fear as it jets past my head. If you’ve ever heard a hummingbird fly, then you know what I’m talking about. These brilliant birds move their tiny wings so fast you hear them coming. According to Brittanica.com, a male ruby-throated hummingbird beats its wings about 70 times per second! That’s incredible!
Watching hummingbirds can be an exercise for your eyes. They’re here one second and there the next. These birds move shockingly fast and sometimes change direction mid-flight. They’ll visit one flower, then another, then back to the first, then another, and then back to the first again. It’s like they can’t decide what to do. I can relate.
Sometimes I get bogged down with choices. There are so many things to do and so little time and energy to do them. There are the things I need to do, the things I want to do, and the things I think I “should” do. It’s tricky to navigate between them, and lately this feels especially hard.
Recently I’ve been reflecting on the “should” messages, where they’re coming from, and their impact on my well-being. I’m reevaluating the podcasts I listen to and other media I consume. What messages are they actually sending? If they’re constantly telling me things I “should” be doing, do these things even make sense for my life right now? Do they fit with what’s important to me?
We sometimes beat ourselves up because we can’t do all the things we think we “should” be doing without ever questioning whether they’re the right choices for us to begin with. Every change has a consequence. We can’t add something without affecting something else. If we begin doing more of this, then we must do less of that. It’s simple math. We can’t add more hours to the day just because we want to add more things to do.
Hummingbirds may have their reasons for darting from flower to flower, but you don’t have to jump from one thing to another just because someone suggests you “should” be doing it. Everyone’s life is different. What one person finds helpful could be harmful to another. I encourage you to listen carefully for “should” messages. Don’t act on them without first evaluating whether they make sense for your life, and don’t feel guilty if you decide they’re not right for you. Sometimes hitting the trash can icon is the best decision to make.
