The Alligator and the Bird
/Imagine there are two parts of you.
Mural by @artist_esh on Franklin St. in Tampa, FL
One is the alligator.
It lives mostly beneath the surface of your unconscious, barely detected unless it senses a threat or it's time to fulfill one of your basic needs like eating, sleeping, or procreating. It's the animal of the body, the part of you that exists in the physical world. When the alligator dies, so does your body.
The other is the bird.
It’s the dreamer, the one who brings insight, who breaks out into song when joy flows through you. It's the animal of the mind, the part of you that thinks, ruminates, has ideas that it wants to bring to life in this world. If the bird gets injured, is malnourished, or mistreated, the flame that lights you up inside, that feels like 'you,' diminishes. The bird can't quite die, but it can become so weak that you forget that there's anything to you beyond your body at all.
Both are essential. Both are equal. Both need to learn to work together to create a balance between who is talking and in charge at any given moment throughout your life.
You’re the bridge, the mediator, the only one who can bring these two together.
Remember: It's the bird who’s doing the imagining that there are two parts; it's the alligator that feels in it's bones that it’s indeed true.
At some point throughout your day, ask yourself:
Who’s in charge right now, the alligator or the bird?
What does the alligator need right now? What does the bird need?
