The Legend 
One day a terrible fire broke out in a forest – a huge woodlands was suddenly engulfed by a raging wild fire. Frightened, all the animals fled their homes and ran out of the forest. As they came to the edge of a stream they stopped to watch the fire and they were feeling very discouraged and powerless. They were all bemoaning the destruction of their homes. Every one of them thought there was nothing they could do about the fire, except for one little hummingbird. This particular hummingbird decided it would do something. It swooped into the stream and picked up a few drops of water and went into the forest and put them on the fire. Then it went back to the stream and did it again, and it kept going back, again and again and again. All the other animals watched in disbelief; some tried to discourage the hummingbird with comments like, “Don’t bother, it is too much, you are too little, your wings will burn, your beak is too tiny, it’s only a drop, you can’t put out this fire.” And as the animals stood around disparaging the little bird’s efforts, the bird noticed how hopeless and forlorn they looked. Then one of the animals shouted out and challenged the hummingbird in a mocking voice, “What do you think you are doing?” And the hummingbird, without wasting time or losing a beat, looked back and said “I am doing what I can”. Source: Pierre Rabhi (Algerian writer, farmer and environmentalist)
Symbolism
“Legends say that hummingbirds float free of time carrying our hopes for love, joy and celebration. The hummingbird’s delicate grace reminds us that life is rich, beauty is everywhere, every personal connection has meaning and that laughter is life’s sweetest creation.” Source: Papyrus Gift cards
The Definition
Have you ever heard someone say with pride, “my car is just humming”? That is how I want you to feel about your body and even your life, be it structurally, emotionally, and digestively, etc. When we take care of our self – feed it the right nutrition, avoid over doing and ensure enough sleep, play time and outdoor time, our bodies can hum just like a well-tended car.
The Hummingbird Totem Spirit Animal
“Hummingbirds help flowering and fruiting plants proliferate by spreading their pollen about. They are assistants in the creative power of nature…. In allowing the needle-like beak of the hummingbird totem animal to penetrate the opening flower of your being, nothing will ever look the same.” Source: www.WildGratitude.com
