A Bug's Life

While driving on the highway, I had a chance meeting with a rather large dragonfly. It hit my windshield, fell onto the hood of the car and was swept away by the force of wind. There was no chance of survival. Of all the places that dragonfly could have been, he ended up flying on the highway...big mistake. This bug was born to soar. It had powerful, strong wings and the freedom to choose its course, but it all came to a crashing halt on I-595. Traffic didn’t come to a stop, no one summoned the police, in fact, no one other than me even noticed. Why would they? This was just an insignificant bug. Bugs hit windshields every day. No one cares. After all, it’s nothing a little windshield wiper fluid can’t fix, right?

Aren’t you glad you’re not a bug? Me too. However, there’s a lot to learn from a bug’s life. Much like that dragonfly, we are all born with talents, skills and abilities. As we live, those assets are further developed, and new ones revealed. Some are the core of our existence, seeming to give our lives meaning, others we take for granted or deem unimportant. As we grow our experiences begin to shape who we are, helping us to find purpose and meaning in the lives we live. Even in a structured society with social norms, rules, and taboos, we have the freedom of choice. Each day of our lives we execute choice. We make decisions about trivial and complex matters. We have the ability to try new things, and learn better ways of doing old ones. We can choose to live purposefully or fly by the seat of our pants. Like the dragonfly, we can spread our wings and soar, but, too often, chose to “wing it” instead.

It’s important to recognize that our talents, skills, and abilities are not enough. How we choose to use them is what determines our destiny. What are you doing? Are you wandering idly on an uncertain road or are you carefully choosing the course you will follow? Are you using your assets to the best of your ability or are you fluttering about aimlessly? Are you cognizant of the people, places, and things that can have a negative impact on your future? Do you avoid them, or are you so attracted to negativity that you risk the certain path? Are you living your life with a sense of urgency and purpose? Or are you waiting to be blown away by the winds of time? Are you allowing your own insecurities to block your possibilities? Are you content with being the victim or are you choosing to be the victor? More importantly, will the world be a better place for you having been in it? Are you living a legacy or leaving a liability?

While driving on the highway, I had a chance meeting with a dragonfly. His unfortunate demise reminds us all of the fragility of life and the power and influence of our choices. So my friend’s, his life had purpose.

Hmmm, the life of a dragonfly...perhaps it's not so insignificant after all.