Free
Today, I would like to tell you a little story…
Once a man was walking by a camp where elephants were kept captive to be trained as servants and slaves for the wealthy aristocracy.
As he looked around the camp, he marveled that the elephants were not kept in cages or in any way restrained by heavy chains —
all that was keeping them from leaving the camp was a small piece of rope tied to one of their legs.
As the man intently watched the elephants, he was completely bewildered as to why they did not just use their immense strength to break their feeble bonds and escape —
they could easily have done so,
but instead…
they did not even try.
Curious as to why this was so, he approached a trainer and enquired as to why the elephants just stood there —
docile —
depressed —
demoralized —
as if hypnotized —
never even making an attempt to escape.
The trainer replied,
“When the elephants are very young and much smaller we capture them and use that same size rope to bind them.
At that age, it is enough to keep them from trying to break free.
Over time, even as they grow larger and more powerful,
they remain conditioned to believe that they cannot break away –
they continue to believe that the rope can still hold them —
thus they never even try
to
break
free."
May your every breath be peace, love and wisdom.
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