Posts: 1382
From:
Registered: Oct 2004

posted December 12, 2005 06:20 AM         

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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 anytime, 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 attempt 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 believe 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 couldn't, 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?

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Posts: 2276
From: London, UK
Registered: May 2005

posted December 12, 2005 06:37 AM         

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quote:

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As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away.

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wow.

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Posts: 2025
From:
Registered: Jul 2004

posted December 12, 2005 07:46 AM         

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Great moral!

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Posts: 2447
From: Kyiv, Ukraine
Registered: Dec 2003

posted December 12, 2005 08:29 AM         

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great and sad at the same time ...thanks for sharing Sweetlibra

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Posts: 574
From:
Registered: Dec 2004

posted December 12, 2005 10:55 AM         

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Posts: 5301
From: Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 2005

posted December 12, 2005 01:10 PM         

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Timely bit of advice, thank you!

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Posts: 1082
From: Sydney, Australia. Cancer Sun.....Gemini Moon.....Aqua Rising
Registered: Aug 2003

posted December 12, 2005 02:38 PM         

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Posts: 11943
From: Pleasanton, CA, USA
Registered: May 2005

posted December 12, 2005 04:41 PM         

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Good story!

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Posts: 2805
From: dreamland
Registered: Jan 2004

posted December 14, 2005 09:29 AM         

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thanks for sharing sweetlibra

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Posts: 324
From: Monterey Bay California
Registered: Nov 2005

posted December 14, 2005 06:03 PM         

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Thank you sweetlibra, for the reminder of how past experiences can keep us mentally imprisioned. We are often much freer than we realize.No matter what we have experienced in the past, we CAN make changes and move forward in our lives...

silvermoon

ps : as a horse owner and animal lover I really feel for those poor elephants!

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