The elephant trainers method to success

The Elephant Trainers Method to Success

Are you an elephant? When I ask this question during my lecturesI get one of three responses. Some people laugh at the question. Some put on a face of getting offended. Others get this confused look. My purpose is not to make you smile, or offend you. For those that are confused, allow me to explain.

If you have ever gone to the circus you’ve seen this “elephant trainers” principle in action. By that I mean the huge two-ton elephant shackled by one leg. At the end of the shackle is a small wooden stake dug into the ground. Hard to believe but true, that elephant is being limited by that short chain and the small stake. Obviously the elephant has enough power to free itself and roam around as he pleases. Yet the elephant has been conditioned to accept this limitation. You see as a youngster the shackle placed on his leg was able to hold him in place. After tugging on it for a certain period of time his leg became bruised. This created enoughpain in him that he stopped attempting his own freedom.

Once he accepts the limitation imposed on him it becomes a permanent belief, or in his case, a conditioned reaction. Now as he grows into adulthood, he has the power to easily pull the stake outof the ground, but his conditioning has taught him that the effort will not only be futile, it will be painful as well.

So again I ask you, “are you an elephant?” The answer is yes. Most of us have is some form bought into some conditioning that is self-imposed and is greatly limiting our lives. We have created our own stake in the ground that limits our achievement. This happens in many different situations all throughout our lives.

Here is what is important. We are not young elephants. We don’t have to create or accept these limitations. We can choose to break free. We will soon go through four steps that will guide you in eliminating the stakes that are holding you back. But first lets visit our circus elephant again. For the sake of this example, we’ll call our elephant “Jimbo.”

Here is Jimbo shackled to the ground. I’m his new trainer and I want to recondition him. First and foremost, I let Jimbo get hungry.I let a day or two pass without feeding him. Then I get his favoritefood and place it inches from his reach. Close enough that he can smell it. Close enough that he is salivating. Next I provide encouragement, “Come on Jimbo. Come and get it.” I yell out. I repeat this process until, little by little, Jimbo starts pulling himself to freedom.

What does this have to do with your success? How can the elephant trainers method help you conquer your limitations?

Here are the four steps:
1. Develop your hunger. Desire is one of the key components for destroying limitations. If your desire is strong enough youwill become internally motivated to take action.

2. Keep your goals in front of you. So close that you can smell them and you salivate with desire to have them. This again will create the internal motivation to go forward no matter what may be holding you back.

3. Small steps bring huge rewards. Arrange small milestonesalong the way to the achievement of your big goal. With each tiny effort forward the stake will lift itself from the ground. This will re-enforce the belief that you can in fact attain yourgoal.

4. Get a mentor. A mentor is more than just a guide. Mentorsencourage and cheer you on. They place the plate in front ofyou and say, “come and get it.” Follow their advice and you willsatisfy your hunger.

Each person enters this world with unlimited potential. Along the waywe bump our heads and stub our toes and we mistakenly create our own shackles to avoid pain. Free yourself and dive head first into yourGod given right to be magnificent.