How many of you are elephants?Each time I ask this question to my training batch, I get a mixed response. Some laugh at the question, some throw a confused look, some look around to see the implication of the said question, while others get offended. Well, my intent is not to confuse or offend anyone, the reason why I always ask this question is this:Consider the circus elephant. The elephant is one of the most powerful creatures on earth. He can lift over a ton with his trunk! These big magnificent animals who are capable of lifting hundreds of pounds and knocking over tall buildings.But if you visit a circus, you'll see the elephant standing passively, teathered to a small stake in the ground. Do you ever wonder why they just don't pull up the stake, escape it's shackles and breaks free? How can such a small and obviously weak string keep such huge animals in check?While still young, small & weak, the elephant is tied by a super-heavy chain to a big iron stake. Every time it tries to break free it is restrained. Five steps and it stops.. Five steps and it stops... He tries & tries & pulls & pulls over and over again, but he cannot break free. Eventually the elephant stops trying and becomes conditioned. It develops self-imposed limitations on its behavior.It becomes a permanent belief. No matter how big & strong he grows, he continues to believe he cannot move as long as he sees he is tied to the stake in the ground beside him and that the effort will not only be futile, it will be painful as well. This is why when the chain is switched to a flimsy rope and tied to a stake two feet in the ground, it does not occur to the animal that the situation has changed and it could easily escape.So he just stands there and sways back and forth, back and forth, not ever realizing that with a swift jerk of his powerful leg, he would be free.The poor creature is conned. He is chained by a lie. He is bound by a mistaken belief system.So again I ask you, “are you an elephant?” The answer is yes. Most of us have is some form bought into some conditioning that is self-imposed and is greatly limiting our lives. We have created our own stake of confirmity to habits in the ground that limits our achievement. This happens in many different situations all throughout our lives. Our chains of conformity are implanted in our daily routine exercises. We are chained to the stakes of our monetary chains and symbols of security and we sometimes don't realize our potential. Despite having untapped power to rise beyond the ordinary, we are unable, or unwilling to break my chains of hindering habit. Does this make me/you a circus elephant?