Break Your Chain

When elephants are young, trainers tie them to a stake with a strong rope. At that size, they aren’t strong enough to break free. They try. They pull. They strain. But nothing works.

Eventually, they stop trying.

Years later, the same elephant, now full-grown and powerful, is still tied to the same kind of stake. But this time, the rope isn’t strong. It doesn’t need to be. The elephant doesn’t even try to break free.

It’s not the rope holding them back. It’s the memory of failure and it happens to people, too.

It’s called learned helplessness, a term coined by psychologist Martin Seligman in the 1960s. When we experience failure enough times, we stop trying, and it makes sense. Who would want to fail over and over and keep trying? The embarrassment by itself would be enough to keep most people from giving it another shot.

But here is the truth: The only real failure is the one that keeps you from trying again.

You’re stronger now. You have built better skills. You have more experience. You are more prepared.

What once held you back or caused you to fail may no longer be an issue or maybe the only thing holding you back is the lie in your mind that you aren’t good enough, capable enough, or skilled enough.

Today is your day to pull the stake, break the rope, and shoot your shot. Go for it and show yourself what courage really is—being scared and deciding to do it anyway.

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