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Why Elephants Don't
Run
by Jim Donovan |
A number of years ago, I had the rather
unique experience of being backstage in Madison Square
Garden, in New York, during the Ringling Brothers Barnum
& Bailey Circus. To say the least, it was a
fascinating experience. I was able to walk around
looking at the lions, tigers, giraffes and all the other
circus animals.
As I was passing the elephants, I suddenly stopped,
confused by the fact that these huge creatures were
being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg.
No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants
could, at any time, break away from their bonds but for
some reason, they did not. I saw a trainer near by and
asked why these beautiful, magnificent animals just
stood there and made no at-tempt to get away.
"Well," he said, "when they are very
young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie
them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As
they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they
cannot break away. They think the rope can still hold
them, so they never try to break free." I was
amazed. These animals could at any time break free from
their bonds but because they believed they could
not, they were stuck right where they were.
Like the elephants, how many of us go through life
hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something,
simply because we failed at it once before? How many of
us are being held back by old, outdated beliefs that no
longer serve us? Have you avoided trying something new
because of a limiting belief? Worse, how many of us are
being held back by someone else’s limiting beliefs?
Challenge your own limiting beliefs by questioning
them. If you begin to question a belief, you
automatically weaken it. The more you question your
limiting beliefs, the more they are weakened. It’s
like kicking the legs out from under a stool. Once you
weaken one leg, the stool begins to lose its balance and
fall.
Once you have weakened the old belief, begin to
replace it with a new, empowering one. Look for
references to support the new beliefs you want to
cultivate. As in the example of the stool, you want to
reinforce your beliefs by adding more and more
"legs" to them. Find people who have
accomplished what you want to accomplish, discover what
they did and model their behavior. Remember back to
times in your past when you were successful and use that
experience to propel yourself forward.
There is a technique called "fake it until you
make it" that works well. I am not suggesting you
live in denial, just that you begin to see yourself
succeeding. Visualize your successes. See yourself
vividly in your minds eye reaching your goals. Affirm,
over and over, that you are succeeding. Write your
affirmations daily. Of course, make sure you take the
appropriate action. As it says in the Bible, "Faith
without works is dead."
Remember that your subconscious mind does not know
the difference between real and imaginary. Give it a
try. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. It
has been said throughout history that what ever you
believe, with conviction, you can achieve. Don’t be
like the poor elephant and go through your life stuck in
place because of a limiting belief you were given or
developed years ago. Take charge of your life now and
live it to the fullest. You deserve the best.
© Copyright 2001 Jim Donovan
Jim Donovan is the author of the
International bestsellers, Handbook To A Happier Life
and This Is Your Life, Not A Dress Rehearsal. He
is also the founder and CEO of www.FreelanceHelp.com,an
Internet network for creative professionals. His
articles, books and a free subscription to his
newsletter are available from www.jimdonovan.com.
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