The early bird, second mouse & third time's the charm

Hey, there. AmyK here.

We love a good proverb.

They make life seem so tidy—just follow the steps and voilà: success.

For example:

“The early bird gets the worm.” 

Translation: Wake up early, hustle hard, and you’ll snag the prize. Sounds great … until the hastily devoured worm tastes like regret.

But then, life throws us another one:

“The second mouse gets the cheese.” 

Ah yes, the wisdom that says, “Don’t rush in, let someone else spring the trap first, then you swoop in for the prize.” So now we’re told: Best not be too hasty or early—wait patiently in the shadows like some ninja-esque rodent.

Feeling a lil confused?

Apparently, you aren’t the only one, cuz … we also have a third saying:

“Third time’s the charm.” 

Which basically says: Keep trying until you stumble into something that works. Persistence beats precision.

So which is it?

Should we be the worm-hungry early bird? The cautious cheese thief? Or the dogged charmer?

And if you think about it, these sayings don’t even line up... 🤔

• If the early bird always gets the worm, why did we need the second mouse?
• And if either of those two strategies always worked, why would we be clinging to “third time’s the charm?”

Clearly, somebody’s worm got away [even with a rise and grind effort], somebody’s cheese got stolen [even if they vultured up to grab the spoils], and for sure … somebody’s first two tries flopped so spectacularly they had to rebrand their third attempt as “charming.”

Here’s the truth: it’s all made up to soothe our pain and ease our fears.

Some mornings you’re the bird and you’ll be rewarded for showing up early. Some days you’re the second mouse and you’ll be blessed by waiting it out.

And sometimes … you’re just the person who keeps showing up, dusting yourself off, preparing to take another shot until life delivers you a delightful third chance opportunity that others will say was pure luck.

The trick is not to tell yourself another platitude, but to genuinely lighten up and lean into the flow of your life … knowing you’ll likely experience all of these in your lifetime … in one context or another.

Going with the flow doesn’t mean giving up.

It means surrendering the fantasy that there’s one right way to define success. It means knowing that worms, cheese, and charming third tries are all perfectly valid victories—shaped by timing, context, and your openness to staying a wee bit detached from it all.

When you stop labeling any single outcome as “bad,” or any single moment as “completely defining my very existence” -- you free yourself to see the whole valuable spectrum—and sometimes even the humor—in life.

And just to help you smile today I invite you to remember … the early bird may get the worm, the second mouse may get the cheese, the third time may be the charm … but at our age …

... you get to shift into fourth gear and blow past ‘em all.” 😉

To down-shifting into your next cherished phase of life … a little lighter, and way more resilient.

Hugs,

AmyK

....

Feel like the turkeys are getting you down or you’re stuck in reverse?

Let’s connect and get you cruising forward … mentally, emotionally, and physically. 

Learn more here: ​www.ignitebrilliance.com/coaching