| I read a wonderful story about how a 175 pound | | | | deserving and sabotage our own happiness? |
| man can keep an 11,000 pound elephant in captivity. | | | | A friend of mine had a painful experience when he |
| Elephants are known for their amazing memory; | | | | was 16. His girlfriend left him for his best friend. |
| unfortunately this very asset becomes its curse. | | | | Today he is 24, extremely wealthy and good-looking, |
| When an elephant is very young, it is tied to a four | | | | but unfortunately very unhappy. He cannot trust |
| foot long wooden stake driven into the ground with | | | | either his girl friend or his best friend. He carries with |
| a thick rope. The baby elephant tries its mightiest to | | | | him the painful memory of 8 years ago and |
| break free from this captivity, but is unable. After | | | | sabotages his own chances of happiness. |
| unsuccessfully trying many times to escape, the | | | | Do you ever wonder what thoughts of yours might |
| young elephant eventually comes to believe that | | | | be holding you back? Are you a prisoner of your |
| escape is impossible. This belief becomes deeply | | | | memories from which you could easily break free, |
| embedded in his memory and is carried into | | | | only if you tried? We are not elephants who can't |
| adulthood. When the elephant is fully grown, it can | | | | break away from the tether. We are blessed with a |
| easily break free from the four-foot wooden stake, | | | | brain that is extremely malleable and allows us the |
| yet it never attempts to do so. This intelligent, | | | | luxury of change in our beliefs and perception. |
| powerful creature is held captive, not by any physical | | | | Your thoughts can be your hell, or they can be your |
| restraint, but by his own memory and associated | | | | heaven. If you think you can or if you think you |
| thoughts. | | | | can't, you are absolutely right. In order to do |
| We humans carry a lot of memories and in those | | | | anything, become anything, or have anything, first |
| memories we may have thoughts of despondency, | | | | believe that it is possible. |
| inadequacy and regret. At some time in our life we | | | | Like the elephant, my friend is imprisoned by his |
| may have been let down or even cheated by | | | | painful memory and chooses to remain captive of his |
| someone. We may have tried something and failed at | | | | past and continues to allow it to ruin his present and |
| it.Our confidence may have been shaken or even | | | | his future. |
| destroyed at that time. We choose to carry that | | | | What you believe to be true will come true, so |
| burden even today. Somehow, we started to believe | | | | choose to believe in the best and you will experience |
| that we were not good enough and became | | | | the best. Do not stay tied to old and painful |
| prisoners of our own negative thoughts. Even though | | | | memories. Do not remain captive, break free now. |
| we may be extremely qualified, we may have all that | | | | Believe in your ability to break free and you will break |
| we could possibly desire; we don't feel confident or | | | | free. |