Preen your wings daily

I was very pleased to get another way to expand my growing understanding of our daily spiritual growth. Mrs. Eddy mentions having 'both wings plumed from flight'. I could see applications for that in not trying to hold one very uplifting thought or truth while still having the 'yes, but' thing keeping the other wing down. You just end up going in circles. You need both wings lifting you upward with no negative beliefs dragging you down.

That thought was clear enough but what really moved it up a notch was to substitute the word "preen" in there. At first I resisted that idea because of my preconcieved idea of what "preen" means. I took it to mean an action that was egotistical, showing off, or self-congratulatory. Fortunately, I looked it up in the dictionary and while that is one of its meanings, it is not the primary one. Here is where real inspiration came.

The primary meaning is to smooth or clean the feathers, to trim with elaborate care. A bird must daily preen its feathers, smoothing any that are rumpled or out of place. If they don't it will hamper their ability to fly. They must also clean their feathers, removing any dirt or accumulations. We can all see the wisdom there and how that applies to our thinking and our life. This process takes time and undivided attention, something we rarely seem to give ourselves, and yet how important, especially early in the day, to do this. With all our 'feathers in a row', any misaligned thoughts straightened out, all the dust and debris removed, our flight is assured. And as you fly you ascend upward. Elevated thought, elevated living.

So that is my suggestion for today and this week. Preen your wings. Sometimes birds have to remove damaged feathers, even a quarter of an inch can affect their flying. But once they have put in this time preening they are free to soar. Soar and sing.