Brand Fable:

The Chuckwalla Technique

A beautiful hawk soared over the desert.
From this height, he was (he thought) above it all.
Majestic. Important. Special.
He felt proud of himself that he had reached this Above-it-All Place.

Of course he also felt hungry.
So he was on the lookout for food.
After all, he was a predator.

His keen eyes caught the slightest movement down below.
A lizard. A Chuckwalla lizard.
A tiny lizard, but at least it was something to eat.

The hawk dove down like a thunderbolt.
Talons lifted.
Ready to pounce.

But where was the Chuckwalla?!

He had skittered away into a crevice in the rocks.
He had filled his lungs up with air.
His tiny body swelled up to twice its size and now completely filled the crevice.

“Not a problem,” thought the Above-it-All Hawk.
“With my razor-like claws and my spear-like beak, I will grab hold of that Chuckwalla and will have him for my snack.”

But the only part of the Chuckwalla that the hawk could see in the crevice was the lizard’s spiky, shell-like spine.
So the hawk scratched and clawed.
He poked and prodded.
But he couldn’t dislodge the Chuckwalla from his crevice.

“How are you doing this?!” demanded the Hawk, “Why can’t I dislodge you?!”

 “It’s quite simple,” said the entrenched Chuckwalla.
“I’m not just in the crevice of the rock. I AM the crevice of the rock.”

This made no sense to the Hawk.
Frustrated and confused.
Above it all, but still hungry.
He scoffed, “Ah, that tiny Chuckwalla wouldn’t have made much of a meal anyway.”

So the hawk flew away
To be above it all once again.

A few months later, that very same hawk flew over the very same desert.
His keen eyes spotted the very same Chuckwalla.
But he was larger, much more substantial than before.

“Hmm,” thought the Hawk, “That tiny lizard has grown into a full meal!”

The hawk dove down like a thunderbolt.
Talons lifted.
Ready to pounce.

But where was the Chuckwalla?!

Again, the Chuckwalla had escaped to a crevice – a larger crevice than before.
Again, he had filled up his lungs with air.
His body expanded so much that the Chuckwalla completely filled the crack.
Only his spiky, shell-like was visible.

So the hawk scratched and clawed.
He poked and prodded.
But he couldn’t dislodge the Chuckwalla from his crevice.

“How are you doing this?!” demanded the Hawk, “Why can’t I dislodge you?!”

“It’s quite simple,” said the entrenched Chuckwalla.
“I’m not just in the crevice of the rock. I AM the crevice of the rock.”

Frustrated. Confused. Annoyed.
But still hungry.
The Above-it-All Hawk flew away once more.
Saying, “Ah, I can find something larger than that silly Chuckwalla to prey on.”

A few months later, that very same hawk flew over the very same desert.
His keen eyes spotted the very same Chuckwalla.
But he was larger, much larger than before.
In fact he was GIGANTIC.

“Hmm,” thought the Hawk, “He’s huge!
If I catch him, I will never have to hunt again!”

The hawk dove down like a thunderbolt.
Talons lifted.
Ready to pounce.

But where was the Chuckwalla?!

Right there.
Unmoving. Unwavering. Unafraid.

“Why are you not afraid?!
Why do you not run away?!” said the Hawk.

“It’s quite simple,” said the Giant Chuckwalla, “Because now, I hunt you.”

And the Hawk was never Above-it-All again.

Click for the moral of the story