Winners Give Up: Burying Their Heads in the Sand!

Winners Give Up Burying Their Heads in the Sand!

According to the phrase-finder website, this originated from an alleged habit of ostriches during the threat of an attack. The story was first recorded by the Roman writer Pliny the Elder, who suggested that ostriches hide their heads in bushes. Actually, ostriches don't hide in bushes, or in sand. The 'burying their head in the sand' myth is likely to have originated from people observing ostriches lowering their heads when feeding. The story also relies on the supposed stupidity of ostriches. The “dumb” ostrich believes that if it can't see its attacker then the attacker can't see it.

Have you ever noticed on the street, at the mall, in the grocery store or in just about any public place, people walking around with their head in the sand? Have you ever said “hello” to a perfect stranger who passed you in the stairwell…only to receive a blank stare, or no response at all? Do you ever walk amongst the masses and feel invisible?

My wife, one of the few people I know who does NOT suffer from this, keenly observed that the vast majority of people walk around in a haze. They navigate through their day completely unaware of any other living creature outside their personal bubble. They seem so self absorbed in their life, their family and their circle of friends, that the other life surrounding them goes by unnoticed.

In business, in relationships, and even in our own back yard we are lulled into the comfort and security of belonging to an exclusive sub-segment of the population. And, without even realizing it, others outside that click become invisible to us…unworthy of our attention. When we walk through the mall with our eyes gazing downward, grazing the polished tiles, we believe that we have no affect on the life around us and, conversely, that this life should not then affect us. But by walking around with our head in the sand, we are hiding from the foundation of a rich and full life; connection to the creation around us.

Enjoying an enriched life experience requires our awareness; our mental and physical participation. In this world of global technology, connecting over the internet is not enough, and has actually become a poor substitute for connecting “in person”. We’re not just burying our heads in the sand, but in our laptops, Black Berry’s and cell phones. Great leaders and winners alike are acutely aware of their surroundings and they engage with them. They make eye contact, and acknowledge those around them. So if find yourself searching for a better life, new relationships and greater success…perhaps you simply need to look up.