The Story of the Eagle Who Wanted to Release Excessive Weight.

There was a young eagle that soared among the peaks of a high mountain range, enjoying the beauty that the Creator bestowed upon her every day. She flew freely and alone, contemplating her existence and striving to honor life by loving her fellow creatures. At noon, she perched on the tallest peaks to spot the animals that would become her future prey, diving down to catch them in mid-flight.

However, the eagle was not happy. She felt that God had created her to surpass herself and found it difficult to accept her destiny as it was. She sensed the weight of life in her two-meter wingspan with the effort required to spread them flying like the other eagles.

She believed that the large number of feathers she carried weighed too much, theorizing that they were a burden, the weight of her life. Nonetheless, the other eagles taught her that each feather was the product of every conquered obstacle and those yet to be overcome. In response, the young eagle confronted them, showing that some of her feathers were a useless burden that only caused dissatisfaction and unhappiness.

Observing other birds that flew with lightness, as if without problems, she convinced herself that she had to rid herself of several feathers, that she had to let go of the negative load that prevented her from living and enjoying life. After a few days of introspection, contemplating the purpose of her life, the eagle became firmly convinced that she had to excessive weight.

During a meeting with the other eagles, she communicated her decision, repeating repeatedly,

«Let us not allow the weight of our wings to prevent us from reaching the heights.»

The other eagles laughed and said,

«The weight is necessary for flight stability and, therefore, for the harmony of life.»

They tried to show her that existence was as it appeared, and that nothing could be done to change it. Failing to convince her, they agreed to meet again once she had released the excessive weight, to evaluate the results.

At dawn the following day, on the edge on her favorite summit, the eagle began plucking a few feathers from both wings, concluding that these plumages were what delayed her takeoff, impeding speed. That day, she flew, caught prey, and felt lighter, with fewer worries.

In the days that followed, she continued shedding other feathers, keeping only those she considered more strategic and enjoyable for her flight. She speculated that some feathers bothered her because they didn’t allow her to reach the desired height of enjoyment quickly enough. She believed that these feathers moved slowly, demanding significant patience and tedium. The old feathers hardly moved and obstructed the airflow over the wings’ surface. The new feathers were too small for such risky flights, and there was no time to train them. Some days, she allowed herself to let go of the feathers that offered the most resistance, as they made it difficult to find her prey or covered the horizon. Each feather she cast into the void represented every obstacle she had encountered in her life and no longer wanted to bear. By releasing the weight, she felt she was leaving behind the difficulties that prevented she from fully living, and as a result, she felt she was loving herself a little more each day.

From the peaks, the other eagles observed the scene, and were terrified at the thought of this poor eagle’s sad fate. However, some in the group experienced a healthy envy for their friend’s courage.

One autumn morning, the eagle woke up determined to catch additional prey to show her fellow eagles the true meaning of releasing feathers. As she spread her wings, the wind moved them so forcefully from side to side that she lost balance. Nevertheless, the eagle managed to take off with some difficulty and headed towards the heights with her usual poise. During her ascent, she felt that her wings lacked the necessary firmness to achieve the climb; there was not enough lift surface to overcome the layers of colder air. Nonetheless, she reached a satisfactory altitude and began seeking ascending air currents to support her ability to remain at high altitudes without wasting energy. Her wings no longer had their previous structure and moved strangely. The eagle realized she had to learn new maneuvers to control her new configuration. Now, there were fewer feathers, fewer obstacles to overcome, and more time for innovation. After a few attempts, she dived down and caught some prey, which she would bring to her friends to demonstrate that she not only survives but truly lives.

She discovered that with less weight, she could stay floating in upward currents for longer periods and reach extreme altitudes. She felt complete and happy; she had begun experiencing the best version of herself.

Now, she could go further and observe life’s flights from a different perspective without leaving her fellow eagles in solitude. She had fewer worries weighing her down and more freedom in her flights to better reach her peers.

She discovered that, with less weight, there was more speed, and with more speed came increased danger of colliding, but it also increased the purity of flight. She compared the simplicity of life with the freedom of flying with more peace and less tension to reach the objective faster. Although the absence of certain feathers now complicated her recreation, she learned to enjoy the voyage flying lighter, playing with both the gentle breezes and the fierce winds.

She understood that by letting go of excessive weight, she moved away from the ability to make low flights since she didn’t have the necessary heaviness to keep her wings stable. However, she wondered why she would want that stability if all she achieved was dragging her feathers through the dust of senseless decay; it drained much of her energy and optimism.

Nevertheless, she reviewed her flights at medium altitude and recognized that previously her wings curved, reducing the turbulence caused by the erratic flights of other birds, but she thought that she no longer wished to fly so low. She observed the other eagles spreading their feather-filled wings, competing for a senseless majesty, and realized how much time she had wasted trying to be in first place in nothingness.

At one moment, she felt like she was abandoning her own species, and although eagles fly solo, equality and cooperation exist in times of need. So, she gathered with her friends to offer them prey, and upon seeing them, a feeling of anguish and even guilt overwhelmed her. While most of her colleagues looked at her with disdain, feeling pity for her, a few, the wisest ones, regarded her with admiration. The eagle greeted them with respect and withdrew from their presence to seek solitude in a cave to think.

Letting go of excessive weight had been a liberating experience, and she had to find its fruits. She began to review the discarded bulk and saw that getting rid of old feathers, which only perpetuated the past, was an accepted and common practice among her species. She also concluded that she had followed the group’s norms by getting rid of new feathers that were deformed and dishonored the lineage.

Then today, she was a different eagle from the others; having less weight allowed her to stay in the ascending currents for longer and thus soar to extreme heights. She felt complete and happy; she had started to experience the best version of herself.

Now, she could go further and observe the flights of life from a different perspective without leaving her colleagues alone. She had fewer worries weighing her down and more freedom to reach her peers through flight. 

She existed, but she existed first within herself to honor God and then to respect creation. She had let go of useless feathers, she had let go of unnecessary weight, she had let go of negativity. And she held on to what life could offer her; she held on to the capacity for wonder in every flight and the recognition of miracles of each day. She had let go of the feathers of an unworthy life; she had let go of excessive weight.

The End