Life never ceases to amaze. Living bodies of all kinds are resilient, adaptive, and at times, miraculous. No story captures this truth as beautifully as that of Wisdom, an aptly named 74-year-old Laysan albatross. Wisdom lives at the Midway Atoll national wildlife refuge in the Pacific Ocean. And she has done what many considered impossible. At the age of 74 she has laid an egg, an act well beyond the life expectancy of her species.
How do we know her age? Wisdom was first tagged in 1956 as a five-year-old. Since then she has been constantly defying expectations. First, Laysan albatross’ lifespans usually range from 12 to 40 years. During her time she has raised over 30 chicks and outlived three (known) mates. She’s not only still here, but she’s thriving. Wisdom is a living reminder that the limits of life are not necessarily what we think they are.
Life’s Boundaries?
If Wisdom’s story teaches us anything, it is to never say what is—or isn’t—possible when it comes to life. Our world today is filled with natural miracles that constantly challenge our beliefs. Extinct species resurface. Plants grow in impossible conditions. In our own species we have numerous examples of human beings who recover from illnesses that the medical establishment labels as terminal. And in the case of Wisdom, a 74-year-old albatross gives life to the next generation.
As we look at these examples we should take a moment to consider how we are all too willing to accept stated boundaries. Whether these boundaries are about biology, our personal potential, or the possibilities of life itself, they are boundaries and not unchangeable truths. Wisdom clearly didn’t get the memo about what was and wasn’t possible for an albatross.
Pushing Beyond
What if we all agreed to “not get the memo”? What if we lived as though anything were possible? How about we all agree to dream bigger, challenge assumptions, and test the limits of our capabilities? Wisdom’s story shows us that the only way to know our true potential is to push against what we think we know.
Science has long told us that certain limits define us—our age, biology, or environment. Yet time and again, those limits are proven wrong. Athletes set new records. Scientists uncover breakthroughs. People overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. New truths, new realities, are created everyday outside of what we firmly believed was possible.
In the stories of healthy, vital centenarians, we often read that many of them just “forgot” to stop working, to stop moving, to stop living. Wisdom didn’t stop flying or laying eggs because of her age. She simply kept living, kept trusting her instincts, and kept doing what she was born to do.
Wisdom’s Lessons
Wisdom has three key messages for us all:
- Life will continue to adapt and survive if you let it. Resilience is timeless and has nothing to do with age.
- Trust your instincts and let your inner wisdom guide you every step of the way, regardless of your age.
- Life doesn’t come with an end date. It’s never too late, for anything. What will you give birth to today?
The truth is, we don’t know the full potential of any living creature—not a bird, not a plant, not a human being. Life’s capacity to surprise us is endless. And if Wisdom can defy biology, then perhaps we, too, can defy the boundaries we think exist.
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