A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

What comes in your mind when you read about the title?

This is one of the oldest idiomatic expressions used in the 15th century that warns us to avoid taking unnecessary risks.

It is about letting go of something sure for the potential of something bigger but is not certain.

But, did you also try to let go of something because you seek more but end up losing both?

I believe it is human nature to keep wanting more and more to satisfy himself.

We always have these thoughts in mind like what if I have this? What if I have that?

I mean, who doesn't want to have more value of everything right? However, I would say that it is better to have something that is certain than take a risk to get more, where you might lose everything.

The idiom explains a scenario where a hunter has a bird on his hand but then he saw a bush with birds on it so he has to let go of the bird to aim for the birds diligently but is uncertain to hit the birds. As a result, he lost both.

In real-life situations, we encounter dilemmas that need time to contemplate and think over many times.

I had an experience where this idiom hit me so hard. I bet some of you guys can relate to what I did too.

I had $20 on my account. I saw a post on Facebook about a doubler site. Out of desperation and greed, I invested all of my money which is $20, and waited for nothing. Consequently, I earned nothing but frustration and regret. Not to mention, that money was intended for paying the internet bill. I was lucky enough when my boyfriend held a hand to cover up my stupidity.

For the record, that was my first time doing it and so it taught me to never do it again or at least, invest what I can afford to lose but it is still better to not do it again really. You see, there's always a first time and usually, it is where you realize about everything you did. Although there are still some who learn about the situation but doesn't put that learning into action.

We should take benefit of what we have in hand rather than taking a risk and running after those things that are imaginary and you are not sure of.

On the other hand, we can also take this idiom in a positive way.

Let's say you are an incoming college student. So you take exams in all universities nearby, in case you get a negative result on your desired school, you still have options to consider.

Life is also about maximizing opportunities. As the saying goes, opportunity only knocks once.

We are taught to take risks, BUT we need to examine first and make sure that we have something to rely on in case of a fallback. Avoid taking pointless risks, think it over, and make decisions wisely.