No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings.

The poet-prophet William Blake, whose visions pierced the veil of the ordinary, gave us this immortal line: “No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings.” These words are a hymn to the boundless spirit of man, a call to rise without fear, to cast aside the chains of doubt and mediocrity. Blake reminds us that when one relies upon the strength of his own soul, there is no height forbidden, no summit too lofty. The sky itself becomes a pathway, not a boundary.

To soar with one’s own wings is to trust in the gifts within, to believe that what the Creator has placed in your being is enough to carry you upward. Many look upon greatness with trembling hearts, saying, “It is too far, too high, too much.” Yet Blake proclaims that true flight is not arrogance but obedience—obedience to the call written deep within the spirit. The bird does not apologize for flying; neither should man apologize for reaching toward the heavens of his destiny.

History reveals this truth with living examples. Consider Marie Curie, who dared to soar where no woman had gone before in the halls of science. With her own wings—perseverance, intellect, and courage—she rose above ridicule, poverty, and danger to discover the unseen power of radioactivity. Many would have said she soared too high, that her quest was folly or pride. Yet she trusted the wings of her own genius, and because of it, humanity itself soared with her into new realms of knowledge.

The danger lies not in soaring, but in relying on borrowed wings. If a man flies only upon the breath of flattery, the strength of another’s labor, or the hollow winds of envy, then his flight will falter. But when he soars by his own wings—his discipline, his faith, his labor—then no height can destroy him, for the strength that lifts him is also the strength that sustains him. The higher he rises, the stronger he becomes.

Blake’s words burn with both comfort and challenge. Comfort, because they free us from the fear of aiming too high. Challenge, because they demand that we rely upon no deceitful crutches, no false supports. The true test of flight is whether you dare to trust yourself, even when the sky looks endless and the winds fierce. To soar is not pride—it is courage. To remain crawling when you have wings is the true shame.

The lesson for us is clear: trust in the wings you have been given. Do not measure your flight by the limits others place upon themselves. Lift your eyes to the highest vision that burns within you and rise toward it. For the one who dares to soar with his own wings shall never be accused of flying too high; he shall only be praised for answering the summons of his own soul.

Practical wisdom flows easily: cultivate your wings daily. Sharpen your mind with learning, strengthen your body with discipline, fortify your spirit with prayer or reflection. Do not envy the flight of another bird; instead, train your own wings until they are strong enough to bear you aloft. And when fear whispers that you may fall, remember that even falling is nobler than never leaving the ground.

So let Blake’s words be carved into your heart: “No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings.” Rise boldly, trusting in the strength you already carry. For the sky was not meant to limit you, but to invite you. And those who dare to fly with their own wings shall find not only freedom, but eternity written in their flight.