I'm going to share a perspective/outlook that is good to have. Don't give me credit for the idea though because i read it from a motivational book. I think it's really inspiring; it helps me break out of the mold sometimes.
So here it is: Live life like a baby elephant. Here's why.
When wild elephants are caught for the circus they are conditioned to be broken. The trainers start by putting a steel chain around the baby elephant’s leg. Now elephants are very intelligent and social creatures, so it's especially hard for this little elephant to be away from its mother. Like all of us, he does not want to be imprisoned. So the little elephant tries to escape to freedom but is jerked back by the chain. He tries over and over not wanting to hand his fate over to captivity. Soon his leg starts to get raw and sore from all the tugging. It doesn't take long before the little elephant associates tugging with pain. He stops knowing that no matter how hard he tries his attempts at freedom are no good.
As the elephant grows up, the chain is replaced by rope. By now, the elephant weighs thousands of pounds and rope is certainly not going to hold him back.
Freedom is right there. To obtain it, all the elephant has to do is try to escape just once more. That’s all it would take. You see, the elephant doesn’t try to escape because he still feels something around his leg. He assumes it’s the steel chain so he doesn't bother tugging at it. He doesn’t think he can escape, so he doesn’t try.
We are a lot like elephants. So often people let themselves get “chained” into thinking that they can’t do things. They assume they wouldn’t be any good or that things won’t change from the way they are now. Always live life like a baby elephant. Be willing to keep tugging, to keep trying to run away. Don’t let others tell you that you cannot do a certain thing. Don't let your own mentality tell you that you can't do things. Don't let these people and these thoughts be your chain. Always check yourself now and then to make sure you aren't confusing chains with ropes. We all have our moments of doubt and uncertainly but the important thing is to keep fighting and believing. Running away from things is not always bad, in this case it was remaining still that lead to the unhappy ending.
Never give up. You never know, all it could take is that one last try that gives way to success.
