Deer @ the Gir Forest
The Talk Between the Deer and the Forest
“What’re you wondering?” the Forest asked the Deer.
“I’m going to leave,” said the Deer.
“I’m the forest and I know that I’m amongst the best forests out here, and I guess you have no problems living here. You get food and shelter and you have a good rapport with even the violent animals so they don’t eat you,” The forest said with hope.
“Well,” said the Deer, “That’s not the point. I feel I should go to a bigger forest and experience life more intensely because I am going to discover my destiny.”
“Deer don’t travel from forests to forests, they care about their food and keeping themselves safe from the wild animals of the forest,” said the Forest.
“Just because I’m Deer, I should act like all other Deer? I don’t think so. I made friends with some of the wildest animals, which none of the other animals have done in this forest. Sure, I’m a little Deer but I have dreams and I want to realize them.” replied the Deer.
“But, everyone here will miss you. You’re the cutest amongst all the animals and all of us really like you,” the Forest said emotionally.
“Hey my dear Forest, I have nothing sort of dislike about you and other animals living here. But I think we are free to go where we wish and to realize what we are. I just want to discover who I really am and there’s only one way to do that: Travel to different forests and get more experiences. And, this is the first step towards it.”
“Your wordings remind me of Richard Bach’s Jonathan Livingston Seagull book,” said the forest.
“You’re right! Do you know, some time back, I met with a Seagull, who told me the story of Jonathan Livingston Seagull and how he reached the heights which were once unimaginable.”
“The story was inspiring and it incepted a wish inside me. A wish to discover who I really am. And you know, I also learned from Richard Bach that you are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it true.”
“Okay, and…?” wondered the forest.
The Talk Between the Deer and Leo, the Lion King
“Well, as you know I’m friends with even the king of the forest, Leo. I went to him and shared my wish.”
And guess what, Leo told me this, “Most Deer do not have any ambition to go to the bigger forests but you are different since you were a toddler. Remember when we first met, you were not afraid of me; you did not run away but saw straight in my eyes and said ‘Hey Leo’. And I could see the strength of your soul in your eyes and we became friends,” said the king.
Then I asked, “But do you think I’ll be able to survive in the new forest? Am I not too young and inexperienced?”
“Since you saw the dream, you’ll figure out all different ways to realize it,” said the King, “You have the freedom to be yourself, your true self, here and now, and nothing can stand in your way.”
“But Leo, I’m going to miss you, I really ..,” I said. “Please don’t ask me anything more.”
“I will always be with you. Whenever you need me, just let me know and I’ll appear in one form or the other,” said the King hiding his wet eyes.
But let me tell you this: “This is your road; and yours alone. I may walk it with you but I won’t walk it for you. Go, discover your true self. Fly with the new wings.”
“Fly with the new wings?” I asked. “Isn’t it unreasonable for a Deer like me to get wings?”
“It sure is, but being unreasonable is the only way through which one can discover her destiny. The world is full of reasonable people who have valid reasons about why you should only do reasonable things. But to discover your destiny, you’ll need to be unreasonable.”
“And you know, being unreasonable is the most beautiful thing one can ever experience. It is 100% reasonable for a Lion to eat a Deer but you know, I will never eat you. Now, spending time with you gives me the internal joy that I had never experienced as a Lion in my whole life thus far. That’s so beautiful that I don’t have words to describe it.”
“So you will also learn to fly with the new wings. As a Deer, you may not get the literal wings but an awareness that only you’d get. Just choose to be aware of everything around you, experience things intensely, understand things deeply but make progress one step at a time.”
The Deer Starts Discovering Her Destiny
“And my heart was filled with confidence,” said the Deer. “And here I’m all set to leave.”
“Ok, now I understand your point of view. Go Deer Go and discover your destiny,” said the Forest, “But you have to make me a promise to come back and share your success story when you have discovered your destiny.”
“Well, I’ll come back one day to tell my story but please take care of my dear Leo who is really going to miss me when I’m gone.”
“And you take care of yourself, little Deer because I know you’re also going to miss all of us and your dear friend, our King.”
“I’m going to keep in touch with Leo even when I’m gone from this forest because there is no ‘because’ … that’s the first unreasonable act I’m going to do in order to discover my destiny.” the Deer thought to herself.
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