Pigeons or Eagles: Which Are You? Part I

Tweet  This blog post was a part of a three-part series, which includes Part II & Part III.

One day I was watching (more listening than watching) to an interview on TV One. You know, that show where creator and broadcast mogul Kathy Hughes interviews a black celebrity and walks them down the nostaligic route of their success… yes, that one! Well, whenever the show is on, I always make a habit to stop and watch. One time, Kathy was interviewing Will Smith (where my Will Smith-lovers at!?) and she asked him a question that stuck with me forever. But, it’s really Will Smith’s answer that resonates with me more. When I heard it, I swear my life just paused, giving the two pioneers my full attention.

Kathy asked: What has made you so successful? Now, let’s explore those six words. To what do you credit your success? How did you create such an error-less empire? What is IT that makes you so great?

Will replied: “I have a Top Five. I’ve surrounded myself with five people who are not where I am, but are where I want to be in my life—in my acting career, music, spiritually—and I just shadow them and see what they do to be successful.”

BAM!! Will's reply blew my mind! How’s yours doing? Exactly.

Suddenly, I picked up my T-mobile phone & looked at my five favs and realized I had some deleting to do. Although, Will wasn’t just referring to whom he talks to and spends the most time with, but moreso who was he allowing to influence his career and life the most.

Whether it’s education, finances, marriage or parenting, health and wellness—we all need advice, because we don’t know everything. So, if you were in a jam—let’s say, you can’t decipher which college course best fits your career goals—who would you call?

Who in your top five, someone who knows you as good as you know yourself, could you rely on to give you spiritual guidance through grad school? And, if that person didn’t answer, do you have at least four more folks to call? Who in your life is where you see yourself in the future?

As an eager intern at LaFace Records, P. Diddy did any and everything for music mogul L.A. Reid, including fetching his morning coffee. Diddy was upfront when he told his boss, ‘I want your job!’ and, as history and tabloids tell us, he eventually earned that status, by simply soaking the advice and mentorship from someone he admired and wanted to be like.

One of my mother’s favorite mantras is “eagles don’t fly with pigeons.” Eagles soar higher than any other feathery species on earth, while pigeons are content walking on the ground. Pigeons limit themselves to a street level view, eagles soar high in the heavens and can spot their next meal thousands of miles up in the air—nothing escapes their vision. So, what are you, a limited pigeon or a limitless eagle? It’s time to choose sides.

Pigeons, stay here!

Eagles, come with me…

Ask yourself—Do you want to be successful? How are you aligning yourself with the successful person who you wish to be?