Greek mythology is full of wonderful stories and works to fascinate the mind. If you've studied it at all, you've more than likely heard of Icarus. If you have not, here is the run down:
Icarus was the son of a talented Athenian craftsmen, Daedalus. His father was prized for his abilities and these abilities led him to be abducted by King Minos of Crete. Because of his intellect, the only place capable of holding Daedalus was his own invention, the Labyrinth. Both Daedalus and his son Icarus were abducted and placed into the labyrinth as punishment. What for, you ask? Well, Daedalus had assisted Minos' daughter in saving Thessus, her lover, from the labyrinth and the beasts trapped inside of it.
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Daedalus and Icarus spent an unimaginable amount of time in the labyrinth, building things and simply surviving, however one day everything changed. One day, Daedalus fashioned two pairs of wings made from feather and wax for he and his son to escape. The wings worked impeccably, but the only hitch came about with the wax-binding. Daedalus, being a good father, warned his son regarding the binding and instructed him to fly low, close to the water, to escape Crete. It is said that upon take-off, Icarus was so overjoyed with the feeling of flight that he forgot to heed his father's warning, flying too close to the sun. His wax bindings melted, his wings were destroyed, and Icarus plunged into the waters below- drowning while his father watched helplessly from above.
Now, why have I told you this story? Well, I think it's applicable to our world today. Last week, I wrote a piece regarding success and what it takes to get there. This week, I want to caution you all. As with everything in this world, there is light and dark to every situation. In life, there are dreamers and realists, optimists and pessimists. While I support optimists full-heartedly, I believe they need someone to keep them grounded, a realist. Being a realist myself, I know the incredible importance of having an uplifter in my life. Without the dreamer, the realist cannot fly. However, without the realist, the dreamer is sure to drown just like Icarus.
Excess of anything is a bad thing, and unfortunately this is true of dreams. Dreams are the fabric of life, they allow us to set goals and push for more. As people though, we must be able to distinguish the fantasies from reality, and we must be capable of pulling ourselves out of a dream-like state in order to get the job done. Realism is dwindling in this world at a rapid pace, and it is pertinent that we take charge to bring it back. Teaching our children that they are capable of everything and anything will only work if we also teach them how to attain those goals. Life is nasty and ugly, and they must understand this to succeed. Realism needs to ingrained, period.
I am not saying that we all must be realistic at all points in time, but only at the most important points in time.
Had Icarus listened to his father, had he not flown too close to the sun, had he not been so enthralled with him emotions and feelings he would have survived. At some point, you must pull your head from the clouds and place your feet on the ground. We must be grounded, we must. If we cannot ground ourselves, trust me, God will do it for you. I've been sent plummeting a time or two myself.
Fly, but don't mindlessly fall.
Don't be Icarus.
