Break the Rope

This story isn't mine, but I really love the idea behind it...

As a man was passing the elephants behind the circus tent, he stopped suddenly, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held only by a small rope tied to their legs.

No chains. No cages.

Just this simple rope that these large animals could break at any time.

The man asked the trainer why the animals made no attempt to get away.

"Well," the trainer replied, "when they were very young and much smaller, we used the same sized rope to tie them and, at that age, it was enough to hold them. As they grew up, they were conditioned to believe they couldn't break away. They believed the rope could still hold them, so they never tried to escape."

The man walked away, amazed that these animals could break free at any time, but because they believed they couldn't, they were stuck where they were.

Like the elephants, many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something simply because we've failed at it before.

Failure is a part of learning. We should never give up the struggle in life. Just as I, as a writer, should never stop writing because I've been rejected or got a bad review. Never let your past failures define your future attempts at your dreams.

Don't stay tied to your past.

Take the step.

Break the rope.