There was a time in my life when I felt trapped, like I couldn’t find the way out. My heart had been caught in a storm of emotions—anger, confusion, sadness—and it seemed like I was stuck in an endless loop, much like a bird caught in a cage. Little did I know, a simple encounter with a small, fragile creature would become a powerful metaphor for my own journey to healing and freedom.
The Hummingbird
It was a warm day last month when a hummingbird flew into my screened-in porch. The tiny bird fluttered around in a panic, trying desperately to find an escape. It would dart back and forth, tapping at the screens, never finding the exit it so desperately sought. The harder it tried, the more exhausted it became, eventually reaching the point where it simply hovered in place, paralyzed by its own efforts.
I stood watching, feeling helpless at first. I knew I had to do something, but the bird was too small, too fast, and too fragile for me to easily guide. But then I realized: the hummingbird didn’t need force, it needed a gentle hand. It needed a moment of stillness. It needed to trust that there was a way out, even if it couldn’t see it just yet.
I carefully approached it with a cup. Surprisingly, the bird didn’t resist—it simply allowed itself to be guided. Exhausted and ready to surrender, it let me help. Slowly, I moved it toward the open door, stepped outside, and released it. As soon as it realized it was free, it soared into the sky, higher than I ever thought it could.
It was in that moment I saw myself in that hummingbird.
The Cage of Emotions
For a long time, I had been like that hummingbird—trapped in my own emotional cage, desperately searching for a way out. My mind had been flying back and forth, bumping into walls of blame, anger, and regret. Every time I tried to push through, I ended up more exhausted, feeling paralyzed by the weight of it all.
I had been holding onto so much—anger toward someone who I felt had hurt me deeply, confusion about the past, and a longing to find closure. I wanted so badly to escape those feelings, but the more I fought them, the more trapped I became.
Just as the hummingbird couldn’t find its way out by itself, I realized that sometimes we need a moment of stillness, a gentle nudge, to help us break free from the emotional cages we find ourselves in. I began to see that freedom doesn’t come from fighting harder; it comes from surrendering to the idea that we can’t always control everything. Sometimes, we need to trust that letting go is the key to soaring higher.
Breaking Free
I started to let go of the need to blame others for what had happened in my life. I had spent so much time wanting to direct my anger at someone else—wanting them to feel the same pain I felt. But I realized that this anger was keeping me stuck, just like the screens had trapped that hummingbird. I wasn’t punishing anyone by holding onto my hurt—I was only keeping myself from flying.
Just as I had gently guided that hummingbird to freedom, I began to guide myself out of my own cage. I started focusing on my own healing rather than on how others had wronged me. I let go of the need for revenge or validation and began to trust that my own path to freedom wasn’t dependent on anyone else’s actions. It was dependent on me.
By releasing the need to control the outcome, I found that my heart, like that bird, began to soar higher than I thought possible. The weight of anger lifted, and in its place came a sense of peace that I hadn’t felt in a long time.
Lessons from the Hummingbird
The hummingbird taught me some of the most important lessons I’ve ever learned:
- Sometimes we trap ourselves in our own emotions. We keep flying back and forth, trying to force a solution, when what we really need is stillness and trust.
- Letting go isn’t giving up—it’s freeing ourselves. The more we fight against what’s already happened, the more we exhaust ourselves. Sometimes the way out is simply accepting that we can’t change the past and choosing to move forward.
- Blame and anger are cages. They keep us trapped in the past, replaying the same pain over and over again. Freedom comes when we release that blame and choose to focus on our own healing.
- We are not alone in needing help. Just as the hummingbird needed a gentle hand to guide it, sometimes we need support from others, whether it’s a friend, a therapist, or even ourselves, to show us the way out.
Finding Freedom
As I’ve continued to work on my healing, I remind myself of that hummingbird every day. I have the power to free myself from the emotional cages I find myself in, just as I freed that bird. My journey isn’t about fighting harder or holding onto the past—it’s about learning to let go, trusting that I can soar higher once I release what’s been holding me down.
If you’re feeling trapped right now, remember that you are not alone. Sometimes the first step to freedom is recognizing that you’re stuck and then gently guiding yourself toward the exit. It’s okay to pause, to reflect, to ask for help. Like the hummingbird, you too can fly higher once you let go of what’s holding you back.
And when you do, you’ll realize that the sky is open, wide, and full of possibilities. You are free to fly again.
Takeaway for Others: If you find yourself feeling trapped in your emotions, whether it's anger, blame, or confusion, know that you have the power to free yourself. It might take time, patience, and a gentle nudge, but once you let go of the walls you've been flying into, you'll find that the sky is waiting for you. Your freedom comes from within—and you are capable of soaring higher than you ever thought possible.