Did Icarus Fly TOO HIGH?

Dear Friend,

The Greek Myth of ICARUS has fascinated me for a long time. But I recently uncovered a twist in the story…

Legend has it that Daedalus built wings out of wax for his son, Icarus, so he could escape the island of Crete.

Daedalus warned his son to not fly too close to the sun so his wings don’t melt, and instead follow his prescribed flight path.

You might know what happened next:

Icarus did not heed his father’s warnings, and soared near the sun. His wings melted, sending Icarus down to a fatal crash into the sea.

BUT, as Seth Godin reminds us in the Icarus Deception, that is not the entire story.

The other half of the Icarus Myth is that Daedalus had also told Icarus to not fly too low, because if he did, the water would damage his wings!

We have been conditioned to believe…
Flying lower is safer than flying higher
Conforming is better than soaring
Achievable dreams are better than moonshots

But, as any pilot can tell you, altitude is your friend.

If your engine fails while you are flying high, you have more options for flying your plane to safety. But at lower altitudes – possibilities in flight – and in life – become limited.

How high or low are you flying in your business, in your career, in your life?

Know that the true hurdle to reaching higher is not a practical one, but a mental one. If you are willing to take small, calculated risks to begin with, and open to learning and course-correcting as you go along, you will eventually grow the wings you need to soar.

“Most people fail in life, not because they aim too high and miss, but because they aim too low and hit. “ – Les Brown.

As always, please pass this on to anyone else who may also benefit from these weekly nuggets by signing up here.

May you FLY HIGH!

Warmly,
Bhavna Toor
Chief Mindfulness Officer
Shenomics