Are We Like Indian Labor Elephants?
Beliefs are assumptions or statements that we have assembled over many years - consciously and unconsciously.
They are established through personal experiences that influence our future.
We often limit ourselves with beliefs such as, for example: "we are not good enough, or not pretty enough, or too young or too old".
All these assumptions are like thin ropes that hold us back from realizing our full potential.
We are like Indian labor elephants.
As a child I often wondered how such "small, weak humans" could tame such large, strong elephants.
Why don't these colossi just run away? The answer I heard totally surprised me! Small, baby elephants are tied up to a pole with a rope.
One sees how the playful, young elephant children try to escape, how they try to free themselves but simply do not have enough strength to do so.
In a few months, these young elephants become accustomed to the rope and learn the radius within which they can move.
They have resigned to the fact and now believe themselves that there is nothing they can do about the situation...
Of course, in the meantime they grow up, become strong and could do a lot more than they recognize! They could easily tear these thin ropes, and, in fact, could tear out entire trees - never mind the small poles with the rope.
But they don't do that.
They believe that the radius defines what their possibilities are.
To what personal scope or to which ropes have you become accustomed to? What could happen if you believe in yourself and free yourself from these ropes? I now feel as if I want to tear out entire trees!!! What about you?
They are established through personal experiences that influence our future.
We often limit ourselves with beliefs such as, for example: "we are not good enough, or not pretty enough, or too young or too old".
All these assumptions are like thin ropes that hold us back from realizing our full potential.
We are like Indian labor elephants.
As a child I often wondered how such "small, weak humans" could tame such large, strong elephants.
Why don't these colossi just run away? The answer I heard totally surprised me! Small, baby elephants are tied up to a pole with a rope.
One sees how the playful, young elephant children try to escape, how they try to free themselves but simply do not have enough strength to do so.
In a few months, these young elephants become accustomed to the rope and learn the radius within which they can move.
They have resigned to the fact and now believe themselves that there is nothing they can do about the situation...
Of course, in the meantime they grow up, become strong and could do a lot more than they recognize! They could easily tear these thin ropes, and, in fact, could tear out entire trees - never mind the small poles with the rope.
But they don't do that.
They believe that the radius defines what their possibilities are.
To what personal scope or to which ropes have you become accustomed to? What could happen if you believe in yourself and free yourself from these ropes? I now feel as if I want to tear out entire trees!!! What about you?
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