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September 16, 2024 • 1hr 6min
Living With Purpose: Timeless Wisdom for a More Meaningful Life
The Mel Robbins Podcast
In this episode, Mel Robbins shares a profound and magical experience she had with an owl on her 27th wedding anniversary. While driving home from dinner with her husband Chris in the pouring rain, they witnessed an owl get hit by an oncoming car. Mel jumped out to rescue the injured owl, having an intense eye-to-eye moment with it before carefully wrapping it up and taking it home. Though the owl sadly did not survive, the experience sparked a year-long fascination with owls for Mel and her family, leading to several important life lessons.
Living With Purpose: Timeless Wisdom for a More Meaningful Life
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Key Takeaways
- Look up - Don't spend your whole life looking down at your phone. Look up and around you to notice the magic and beauty in the world.
- Open yourself up to magic - Expect amazing things to happen and you'll be more likely to notice and experience them.
- Pursue wisdom - Lean into learning about topics that interest you. It will enrich your life and make you more interesting.
- Be careful not to go overboard - Don't turn meaningful experiences into clutter by collecting too many related objects.
- Prioritize experiences over stuff - Life is about the experiences you have, not the things you own. Invest in memorable experiences.
Introduction
In this episode, Mel Robbins shares a profound and magical experience she had with an owl on her 27th wedding anniversary. While driving home from dinner with her husband Chris in the pouring rain, they witnessed an owl get hit by an oncoming car. Mel jumped out to rescue the injured owl, having an intense eye-to-eye moment with it before carefully wrapping it up and taking it home. Though the owl sadly did not survive, the experience sparked a year-long fascination with owls for Mel and her family, leading to several important life lessons.
Topics Discussed
The Owl Rescue Experience (1:11)
Mel vividly describes the rainy night when she and Chris were driving home from their anniversary dinner. As they came around a bend, they saw a flash of white as an owl swooped down and was struck by an oncoming car. Mel immediately had Chris pull over so she could help the injured owl.
- The scene was eerily magical, with rain backlit by headlights as Mel approached the owl
- Mel had an intense eye-to-eye moment with the owl when it slowly turned its head to look at her
- "If you had told me in that moment, Mel, this owl is here to tell you that you have wings, girl. Just sprout them out, start flapping. I would have been convinced that that messenger in that owl was to tell me that I had angel wings and it was time to flap."
- They carefully wrapped the owl in a beach towel and took it home
Caring for the Injured Owl (16:14)
Mel describes their efforts to care for the injured owl overnight and get it proper help the next day.
- They placed the owl in a laundry basket in Chris's tractor barn overnight
- The whole family was fascinated by the owl, carefully checking on it
- They contacted a wildlife rescue organization to come pick up the owl
- Sadly, they learned a few days later that the owl did not survive its injuries
The Family's Owl Obsession (31:22)
Though the owl didn't survive, the experience sparked an intense fascination with owls for Mel and her family over the next year.
- They bought owl books, statues, puzzles, clothing, and other owl-themed items
- Chris built an owl house and hung it high in a tree on their property
- They went on owl walks and learned everything they could about owls
- Mel cautions against going overboard with collecting themed objects, as it can dilute the meaning of the original experience
Lessons Learned from the Owl Experience (50:33)
Mel shares 5 key lessons and insights she gained from the owl rescue experience and subsequent fascination with owls:
1. Look Up
- We spend too much time looking down at phones and devices
- Looking up and around allows you to notice beauty and magic in the world
- You'll never spot an owl in nature if you don't look up
2. Open Yourself Up to Magic
- Expect amazing things to happen and you'll be more likely to experience them
- Chris has had several magical owl encounters since opening himself up to them
- "When you look for something in life, the world has an amazing way of showing it to you."
3. Pursue Wisdom
- Owls symbolize wisdom - lean into learning about topics that interest you
- Pursuing knowledge and wisdom enriches your life
- Being interested in something makes you more interesting as a person
4. Be Careful Not to Go Overboard
- It's easy to go from appreciating something to collecting too many related objects
- This can dilute the meaning and turn into clutter
- Limit yourself to just 1-2 meaningful objects to represent an experience
5. Prioritize Experiences Over Stuff
- Life is about experiences, not accumulating material possessions
- Invest time and money in memorable experiences rather than objects
- You'll remember and cherish experiences far more than stuff
28th Anniversary Owl Experience (1:00:35)
Mel describes the special owl experience she planned for their 28th anniversary to build on the previous year's magical owl encounter:
- Found a falconry center in Vermont that offers hands-on owl experiences
- Booked a private session to interact with and fly owls
- Had an incredible, up-close experience with burrowing owls and barn owls
- "To be that close to such a magnificent creature and to learn about them, I mean, it was incredible."
- Reinforced the lesson of prioritizing experiences over material things
Insights from Psychic Kim Russo (40:58)
Mel shares insights from psychic Kim Russo about the meaning behind the owl rescue experience:
- Owls represent wisdom and a higher, 360-degree perspective
- The experience signaled a new chapter of higher wisdom opening up for Mel and Chris
- This aligns with Chris's subsequent pursuits in spiritual psychology, leading men's retreats, becoming a death doula, etc.
Conclusion
Mel concludes by reiterating the five key lessons from her owl experience and encouraging listeners to apply them:
- Look up and notice the world around you
- Open yourself up to magic and amazing experiences
- Pursue wisdom by learning about things that interest you
- Be careful not to go overboard with collecting themed objects
- Prioritize experiences over accumulating material possessions
She emphasizes that by following these lessons, you can enrich your life, have more meaningful experiences, and tap into the magic that exists all around us. Mel encourages listeners to share the episode with others who could benefit from these insights about creating more depth and meaning in life.