habitual pursuit

Every morning as I sit at my desk and ease myself into the day, I am not only accompanied by a hot cup of coffee, but also by nature’s redundant flight show.

Separated by a pane of glass and an intersecting street, a flock of urban pigeons seek refuge on the neighbouring building.

Every morning as I sit at my desk and ease myself into the day, I observe the flock conduct their daily ritual, coercively flying their laps lasting two to three minutes at a time. Intuitively, they plunge off the rooftop, circling between the buildings until their instinctive cues tell them that will suffice for one day.

It is comforting to see that the pigeons leave no bird behind as they decidedly exercise their wings; flying as one mass, not only physically exerting themselves but building comradery at the same time. How, like me, when their restlessness proves to be too much, they leave their perch and do a lap; stretching their stiff muscles in order to break up the day.

Entertaining and thought provoking, I find myself drawing insight from their routine. The first thought that entered my mind was how beautifully the pigeons captured the steady, cyclical movement of life. The way they smoothly rounded each corner left me envious of their effortless ability to navigate each turn. If only I was able to convey such confidence and bliss as I made my way through the ups and downs of life. However, as the pigeons circle round and round, a smile crosses my face at the reassuring truth that like their scheduled loop of flight, each day comes and goes much the same. We make our way through the day, sometimes struggling and sometimes coasting. Regardless of how we make it through, the fundamental reality is – we make it through.

Interestingly enough, we were created with the same visceral instincts that pigeons possess, leading us to live structured, routine-based lives. Further still, we seek comfort in the fact that each day will look somewhat the same as the previous one. Through carefully plotting out the course of our everyday doings, it allows us to feel as though we have some sort of control over our future.

How do we find balance between an organized schedule and ordinary routine? And when do we know when we are stuck in a viscious circle or deeply engaging in the mundane happenings of daily life? Are we defining our routine or letting it define us?

As humans, we strive to feel as though our lives are moving along with some sort of forward momentum. Whether that be large strides or minimal advancements, some type of direction proves vital to sustaining overall feelings of achievement and worth in our everyday routines. There have been times, and will be more times when I have felt like I am stuck circling around whatever it is that might be “my purpose.” Times where I am moving through the cyclical motions that seem to be amounting to nothing, however, I am unsure of how to break free from them.

I like to think of myself as someone who is not overly affected by a change in plan. I feel excited by spontaneity and I aim to make my way through life with an open mind. At the same time, I have found myself at points in my life where I have exasperated myself trying to think through every possible outcome and how to get to the place I want to be at. To the point where I don’t know how to spend my energy and progress in a way that will help me figure out what I want to do. I attribute a lot of this to the stage of life I am in and the endless amounts of decisions and opportunities presenting themselves at rapid speed.

Although there are times when our routines seem to take a toll on us, I fully believe that there is value to be found in the moments of thrill and the moments of monotony. Finding balance between the two is something I have spent a lot of time thinking (and writing) about, and I have found peace in coming to realize that this will be an ongoing venture; intentionally attempting to coexist in a space that contains both.

I figure that as long as I can adapt to whatever is thrown my way with a positive attitude, there’s not much to worry about, especially since there is no point in worrying about what cannot be controlled. Like many things, this is easier said than done.

To my surprise, what I previously assumed to be an inane species, the pigeon turns out to be a very intelligent bird. Similar to us, they are creatures of habit and stewards of their routine. Also like us, they have a tendency to stick together and always return home – whatever or wherever that may be. It turns out that their circular flight patterns are used for navigational purposes, and they utilize their sense of smell to locate home-base.

It seems that I can learn from these feathered friends, who demonstrate patience and understanding that sometimes you need to go in circles in order to find out exactly where you are meant to be.

Trust the process,

A

If you’d like to take a look at a beautiful photo set of pigeons in NYC, check it out here.