Black-shouldered Kite

Until you've picked up a telephoto lens, you really have no idea how hard it is to clearly and closely capture a bird in-flight, and in-focus.

Though for this photo, it wasn't the skill of the photographer, but the skill of the bird.

The Black-shouldered Kite hovers skilfully and gracefully in the wind to remain in a completely stationery position above ground. From this vantage point it uses sharp eyesight to spot rodents, lizards and small ground birds. So all I had to do was walk underneath it and photograph a still target. This bird is a master. An effortless master, and it made me feel like one too.

The Black-shouldered Kite reminds me to consider the speed at which I do things. To find the fluidity within the circumstances, and find flow within the world around me. Going a million miles an hour is exhausting, and it's hard to see things clearly. It's so easy to rush things. Or force things. But there is a flow to be found in everything, and it often involves slowing down and doing things with intention. Working smarter, not harder. There is almost always an easier, more enjoyable way to do something.

Is there an aspect of your life that is exhausting you? Could you find an easier way? Could you slow down and find the flow within it?