A Bird in the Hand

 

I remember as a child hearing the adage, “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” I also remember not quite understanding what it meant even after my mother tried to explain it to me. 

Its definition according to Oxford Languages is “It’s better to be content with what you have than to risk losing everything by seeking more.”

Now at first glance this does make perfect sense. In the letting go of the bird in the hand, in an effort to catch the two in the bush, you might just end up empty handed. 

However, on the flip side, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” might hold true here as well. What is actually the worse outcome of the lost bird? Perhaps a day without a meal, which although uncomfortable may not be the end of the world. 

Dr.Phil teaches to ask, “What is the worst thing that could happen here?” He then says to actually answer that question, and follow it to its logical conclusions. Most of the time the worst case scenario is not something that can’t be overcome. 

Learning how much risk you can tolerate, or better yet pushing yourself to accept more risk, in the long run, might actually be the better path. Holding on to what you know to be a sure thing may actually not be the best course to follow. Not letting go can be very limiting, although it’s safety might be tempting. 

I think this lesson has a lot to do with discernment which does seem to come more with age and experience. Perhaps allowing our children to make different choices with different results can help them to hone whether to hold on tightly to that bird in the hand, or to let it go, and attempt to catch the two in the bush. 

Of course knowing “when to hold them, and when to fold them,” becomes the real key.