Turning Challenge Into Opportunity: A Lesson from Peacocks

June 22, 2015

Ever wondered what peacocks eat? Just about anything, so long as it’s bright and shiny. In fact, they often prefer poisonous plants to healthy ones. But here’s the funny thing: Poisonous plants don’t harm peacocks. Rather, the poison is what makes their intricate feather patterns so vivid.

We tend to view certain life experiences as “poisonous.” Losing a job, getting sick, breaking up. We try to avoid these at all costs, and perceive them as unnecessary glitches when they can’t be avoided. But in many cases, these very challenges contain essential “nutrients” for our creative energy, our growing sense of self, our compassion for others.

Don’t automatically deny yourself life’s bright and shiny experiences just because you fear they will poison you. Poison isn’t poison when you let it decorate your feathers.