Ever heard the elephant and the rope story? If not, this article will give you an overview of the story. The elephant was tied to a pole with a thin rope. It could break free at any time, so the man wanted to know how they remained bound. The trainer explains the reason. It was because the elephants believed they couldn’t break free.
This story is based on an incident that happened in India when a gentleman was passing by an elephant camp. The elephants were not kept in cages or chains; they were simply bound with a small piece of rope tied to their leg. Despite being so large, the rope was so small and thin that the elephants did not even think about running away.
When the elephants are small they are tied down with a rope. The elephant will try to walk away but the rope holds them there. Over time the elephant gets conditioned that it can’t break free. It eventually gives up as it believes it can’t break free even though it could easily do it once it has grown.
What ropes are holding you back?
Often times the ropes are beliefs we have that hold us back. We get conditioned over time to believe we can’t do certain things. Much like the elephant we are not even aware of it.
This is where coaching is life-changing as it allows us to change the beliefs we have. Coaching allows us to remove the ropes that are holding us back in life from being everything we can be.