Eagles enjoy one of the longest life expectancy among bird species. They can live for up to 40 years. In order to live long, they have to make a critical decision at the age of 30*. As they age, like with every living creature, changes occur. The following are some of the changes that occur to eagles:
their eyesight grows dims, so they cannot see prey or predators as well
their wings are heavier due to thick & long feathers, making flight more difficult
- their beaks grow long & curved almost touching their chest making it impossible for them to eat.
At that age, they have 2 choices:
- do nothing i.e. accept the situation and die, or
- do something i.e. make changes by putting themselves through a painful transformation and live. The eagles that decide to live need to do specific things - by themselves & away from others.
- the eagle flies up to the region of the sun so the mist over its eyes its old feathers are burnt off
- the eagle hits its beak against the rock till they fall off and wait patiently for new beaks to grow
- the eagle then plunges three times into water, and its youth is restored.
Now, this is a really focussed time in the life of the eagle - a time of retreat for renewal; rest for restoration. That way, they renew their strength for another couple of years! See Isaiah 40:31 & Psalm 103:5.
Try to picture this in your mind…you’d agree that it is not a pleasant time in the eagle’s life not to mention how “unattractive” the eagle looks. It has to decide and do something - it has to take charge of the changes for its life to continue productively. Now, how easily do we take charge of changes or do we just take "cover" and remain in our comfort zones - not making any progress in life?
At different points in our lives, we have to make what may seem like controversial choices and difficult decisions in order to embark on a new journey. And for sure, not everyone will agree with us. We may need to let go of all sorts of things varying from habits to associations, and could even stretch to letting go of our comfort zones – in short, letting go of everything that “slows” us down and patience is required too. It’s centered on the courage to decide and do what you need to to make yourself fly again - like the eagle. 
“People who soar are those who refuse to sit back, sigh and wish things would change. They neither complain of their lot nor passively dream of some distant ship coming in. Rather, they visualize in their minds that they are not quitters; they will not allow life's circumstances to push them down and hold them under.” (Charles R. Swindoll)
Have you ever heard the saying: "Birds of a feather flock together"? Well, "if you're an eagle, don't hang around chickens: Chickens can’t fly!" (Author unknown); and closely tied to that “You cannot fly like an eagle with wings of a wren.” (attributed to: William James (1842 - 1910) & William Henry Hudson (1841 - 1922) - don't know who said it first.)
In essence, we need to know who we are, associate with like-minded people and do what we need to to develop ourselves so we can achieve God's purpose for our lives...and of course know when R&R is required (see prior postings on R&R).
This is our expanded version of Principle 7 in continuation of the "Learn from the Eagle" posting. I modified the original email and added facts from additional research to meet our need. It's such a wonder what you can find when you seek. I found out that the original piece adapted for the "Learn from the Eagle" piece was written by Dr Myles Munroe - see for yourself: www.fyicomminc.com/gaianews/speech32.htm
References:
*http://www.plantinghisseeds.net/articles/eagles.htm
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