3: MANAGING MY CAREER
Setting Goals AND
Being Adaptable
What we can learn from the baby elephant
Do you know what they do to keep a circus elephant from running
away? They tie a metal chain onto a collar around the mighty
elephant’s leg and tie it to a small, wooden peg that’s hammered
into the ground. The 3-metre tall, 5000-kilo hulk could easily snap
the chain, uproot the wooden peg, and escape to freedom. But it
does not do that. In fact, it does not even try! The world’s most
powerful animal, which can uproot a tree as easily as you and I can
break a toothpick, remains tied down by a small peg and a flimsy
chain. How come?
It’s because when the elephant
was a baby, its trainers used
exactly the same methods. A
chain was tied around its leg
and the other end of the chain
was tied to a metal stake on
the ground. The chain and peg
were strong enough for the baby
elephant. When it tried to break
away, the metal chain would
pull it back. Sometimes, tempted
by the world it could see in the
distance, the elephant would pull
harder. But the chain would cut
into the skin on the elephant’s leg,
making it bleed and creating a
wound that would hurt the baby
elephant even more. Soon, the
baby elephant realised it was futile
trying to escape and stopped
trying.
And now, when the big
circus elephant is tied
by a chain around its
leg, it remembers the
pain it felt as a baby
and it does not try to
break away. So even
though it’s just a chain
and a little wooden peg,
the elephant stands
still. It remembers its
limitations and knows
that it can only move as much as the chain will allow. It does not
matter that the 100-kilo baby is now a 5000-kilo powerhouse. The
elephant’s old belief that he is unable to escape prevails.
We are all a bit like this. We all have choices.
Sometimes these choices have been reduced by our reactions in
response to family and other significant people, or because of
difficulties in early school. These become the chain/rope and pull us
back. We are just not game to try something because we have been
taunted by others or hurt by their words. Sometimes we just want to
give up. Sometime we just want to stop trying.
Have you experienced this? Do you find some things seem to hold
you back when really there is no reason, except that you are just not
game to try something different? It is important to, every now and
then, take stock of what is causing us angst ܈