019 Worth the Chase?
Hey Kite, the moment you catch a fish the others come at you from every side, and they stop the moment you let it go.
Is what we are holding worth the fight?
What are we holding that is worth being chased for?
Is what you are holding worth the fight?
High above a river, a black kite swoops and comes up with a fish. Within seconds, other kites are on it, diving, chasing, screaming.
Then it drops the fish. And just like that, they leave it alone.
What really happens
Kites, eagles and many other birds often steal food from each other. Scientists call it kleptoparasitism. The bird carrying food becomes the target.
Once it lets go, there is nothing left to chase.
How we know: Food-stealing between birds is well recorded. The Bhagavata Purana uses the same picture: a bird that drops its meat is left in peace.
The turn
At work, we sometimes hold an opinion, a project, a credit, and feel attacked from every side.
The kite asks two questions. Is this worth the fight? And if people are chasing me for what I hold, is that a sign of how valuable it is?
Three takeaways
- Not every attack is about you. Some are about what you carry.
- Ask whether what you hold is worth the chase.
- Letting go can end a fight. Holding on can be worth one.
Know what you carry, and you will know which fights to fight.
He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.