Lessons from a Hummingbird – Overriding Our Survival Instinct

The other day I noticed a hummingbird had found its way into our garage. It was frantically flitting along the ceiling, desperately trying to find a way to get out, but without success. It appeared to be trapped. 

But from my human vantage point, I could see that it wasn’t trapped. The big garage door was open wide and both side doors were open, too. It could easily have swooped down just a foot and found its escape. Why was it so determined to stay stuck, flying as high as the ceiling would allow?

Then it hit me; the hummingbird was scared and was stuck in survival mode. Its instincts were telling it that higher was safer. Its fear was keeping it trapped, unable to see clearly and find its way out. If only I could help it override its survival instinct and show it a better, easier way.

I was struck by the similarities to our human survival instinct and how our saboteurs keep us stuck in negative emotions like fear, unable to see clearly. Maybe we’re not trapped in a garage, but we can easily feel trapped in other ways, unable to reach our dreams and live our best life. If only we could override our survival instinct and find a better, easier way.

Have you taken the saboteur assessment yet? It can be extremely valuable to identify the way your survival wiring is showing up in your mind. My top two are the pleaser and the avoider. I’ve found that knowing this makes it easier for me to catch these internal voices in action. Applying a label takes away some of their power, letting me see other options more clearly.

This week, identify your saboteurs and see if you can notice them in action. Consider how they’re keeping you stuck.