A Favorite of 16,
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"Most gulls don't bother to learn more than the simplest facts of flight--how to get from shore to food and back again," writes author Richard Bach in this allegory about a unique bird named Jonathan Livingston Seagull. "For most gulls
...(more) it is not flying that matters, but eating. For this gull, though, it was not eating that mattered, but flight." Flight is indeed the metaphor that makes the story soar. Ultimately this is a fable about the importance of seeking a higher purpose in life, even if your flock, tribe, or neighborhood finds your ambition threatening. (At one point our beloved gull is even banished from his flock.) By not compromising his higher vision, Jonathan gets the ultimate payoff: transcendence. Ultimately, he learns the meaning of love and kindness. The dreamy seagull photographs by Russell Munson provide just the right illustrations--although the overall packaging does seem a bit dated (keep in mind that it was first published in 1970). Nonetheless, this is a spirituality classic, and an especially engaging parable for adolescents. --Gail Hudson(less)
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Each time I read the book I am always moved by the powerful unforgettable story that teaches us without preaching numbers…..seven habits…ten truths…eighth prophecy…five fundamentals …. and how to live rules at the end of usual self improvement books.
We learn how to
Dare to be different and shun mediocrity … “How much more there is now to living!”
No more content to be run of the mill but stand apart from the crowd.
Strive for perfection….” The most important thing in living is to reach out and touch perfection in what you most love to do.”
What he means by love….. “See the good in everyone and help them see it in themselves.”
Friendship should not depend on things like space and time….he puts it so beautifully…
“Overcome space, and all we have left is Here. Overcome time, and all we have left is Now. And in the middle of Here and Now, don't you think that we might see each other once or twice?”
Freedom…. “It is the very nature of our being….and whatever stands against that freedom must be set aside, be it ritual or superstition or limitation in any form.” And then again “We're free to go where we wish and be what we are.”
Take heart from the fact that there are others who think like you and welcome you to their fold…though fewer in number they add meaning and a reason to live life with a deeper understanding…like all Zaadsters.