Introduction
Writers and artists employ different tools, techniques, and literary devices to pass the intended message to the readers. Individuals should follow such works in an effort to acquire additional insights and relate them to some of the challenges they might encounter in their lives. While analysts and scholars will interpret books, essays, and poems differently, most of the intended themes remain informative and unchanged. This reflective essay explains how human beings can apply the ideas gained from “Joyas Voladoras” by Brian Doyle to pursue their personal and professional goals and solve most of the predicaments that might arise.
Short Background
The selected essay begins by describing the features and life of the small hummingbird. The author refers to this bird as a flying jewel with an extraordinary minute heart. Doyle goes further to indicate the vertebrate can fly for over 500 miles without stopping to rest. With such abilities, it becomes evident that it remains fast-paced but still vulnerable. Majority of these birds encounter diverse risks that have the potential to threaten their lives. For instance, Doyle reveals that they have higher chances of getting a heart attack. This small organ can also rapture, thereby threatening its survival.
Doyle goes further to compare these small birds with the life of a tortoise. These marvelous animals walk slowly and without leaving anything to chance. Consequently, the creatures tend to have lives of over 2 years while hummingbirds only manage two. The article goes further to present whales as gigantic animals with large hearts. These comparisons guide the reader to understand how both the hummingbird and the whale occupy the same planet but with different rhythms or energy levels. Despite being giants, whales live and look for food as a team or in pairs. These attributes can become a new opportunity for the reader to learn more about life and how human beings can pursue it.
Personal Reflection
After going through this work, it becomes quite clear that human beings should treat life in a respectable manner since it is always precious. The metaphors evident in the selected story try to convince the reader that hummingbirds are small creatures that manage to achieve a lot in their lives. Those who follow the outlined example will be motivated and understand that there will always be challenges on the way. They will encounter various emotional and health obstacles that should not discourage them from being involved and ready to achieve greatness. The comparison of the tortoise becomes a new opportunity for people to be sure and slow whenever pursuing their goals. They need to strike a balance and understand that the choice of living 200 or 2 years depends on the decisions they make in life. They also need to obey the natural environment and avoid pursuing what might be impossible to achieve.
These two diverse animals can become an opportunity for human beings to stop comparing themselves with others. This remains a common challenge that Doyle must have observed in his life. Individuals who take such a practice seriously will become more empowered to pursue their goals and act ethically. Additionally, the rapid changes recorded in a hummingbird’s life echo the experiences people have to go through. At some point, human beings tend to work extraordinary in an attempt to achieve great things. They focus on material possessions and even acquire new items that can make it easier for them to match the cruising speed of this tiny bird, such as aeroplanes and vehicles. While doing so, they forget some of the risks that they might face in their lives.
The example of a whale appears to neutralize the story by guiding people to realize that large animals with gigantic hearts can live harmoniously and promote the concepts of love, harmony, and friendship. This achievement contrasts the solitude associated with tortoises and hummingbirds. Doyle seems to challenge human beings since they have been unable to relate with each other positively for many centuries. They tend to ignore the plight and welfare of others in the pursuit of their personal gains. Consequently, they have found it hard to change the world and achieve positive results in their lives. This kind of challenge explains why many people lead troubled and unhappy lives.
All these ideas appear to give a true image of how human beings behave and relate with others. Some individuals follow the model of the hummingbird to complete their tasks and solve emerging problems. Others embrace the tortoise’s style to pursue their objectives in life. Doyle appears to encourage readers to re-examine such approaches and identify some of the unique problems or challenges that might arise. Those who lead their lives so quickly without stopping eventually find it hard to cope with the realities of the world. At the same time, they remain blind and fail to consider new ways of transforming their experiences. Those who pursue their goals slowly take long before reaching their new destinations. Every person is, therefore, free to make the most appropriate choice and be in a position to emerge successful in life.
Making Connections
There are unique connections that are evident in the selected story. First, human beings have failed to strike a balance in life in an attempt to solve their common problems and be able to promote love. Human beings encounter numerous challenges that make it impossible for them to find happiness, such as enmity, disagreements, and discrimination. With their sizes being far much smaller than those of whales, they fail to establish meaningful relationships and cultivate them for the rest of their lives. The case of the whale challenges their malpractices since they have gigantic hearts and energy that could be useful in fighting each other. Instead, they find it easier to collaborate and move together in order to simplify their experiences and encounters. This analysis appears to encourage human beings to look closely at this animal and change the way they relate with each other.
The hummingbird appears to be extremely active and hardworking without considering the challenges that it might encounter. It remains one of the birds that suffer heart attacks or explosions. They soon die within two years or less due to the nature of their fast-paced lives. This example appears to caution human beings about the mistakes they make on Earth. They need to compare their experiences with those of a tortoise because it takes every step at a time. The outcome is that such a creature finds it easier to stay safe and record a long lifespan on earth. When people consider these attributes, they will realize that the future remains uncertain and stop relying on their superiorities and achievements.
These insights appear to echo what is taking place in the world presently. The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) has become a new reality that has forced human beings to reconsider their lives and goals. Governments have imposed lockdowns and curfews to curtail movement and minimize the rate at which this disease has been spreading. This new development appears to echo the insights and intentions of the author of the selected essay. For decades, people have been keen to focus on material possessions and improve the pace of their lives while at the same time ignoring the fact that catastrophes and pandemics might emerge. Doyle is trying to prevent such an outcome by encouraging more people to remain practicing and be ready to solve problems that might arise in life.
After considering the above aspects, it is agreeable that the selected essay guides human beings to promote love and happiness. The achievements of both hummingbirds and tortoises reveal that all creatures can take different paths to arrive at a common destination. The best initiative is to be prepared for possible challenges that might emerge, their differences, and evidence-based practices to make the world a better place for all. Such an approach will meet the goals of the greatest number of global citizens.
Conclusion
The above discussion has identified Doyle’s article as an inspirational work that encourages people to live happily and invent new models to achieve their goals in life. While there might be diverse ways of doing so, the recommendable practice is to be aware of anticipated challenges and the importance of love and unity. These attributes can inform a new philosophy of life that can eventually guide and make it easier for more people to change the world. I would, therefore, recommend this essay to all readers in order to formulate their own interpretations and eventually emerge successful in their lives.