All of us decide whom and what we want to be. Did you know that you could have exactly what you dream about? How? By creating a mindset that supports and assists you in making the kinds of choices that bring you towards the success you are seeking.
It does not have to be difficult. It can be a glorious adventure that you get to create one step at a time. Are you willing to choose to embrace what your heart is calling out to you to be? Your heart wants you to live out our true authentic self and not some made up story that is brought to you by the conditioning of your past or some current limiting belief. If you formed values as a result of childhood conditioning that are not serving you now, question and adjust those values. For example, take the child who is conditioned to believe that money is the root of all evil and selfless service is God-like behavior. This child will likely grow into an adult who resists having any more money than necessary and struggles financially all of her life. Questioning and challenging (and ultimately changing) such a value will create a greater sense of empowerment and purpose in her life, rather than blindly living by someone else’s values.
Make your dreams come true by never giving up. The only limits that exist are those that we impose upon ourselves. Most people have self-imposed limitations that prevent them from becoming successful. What they perceive as obstacles are only within their mind. Oftentimes, altering the smallest of things within their thinking would make a complete breakthrough possible.
Did you know that the massive power of the huge circus elephant is controlled by a tiny chain? These beautiful, giant creatures are only held to their stake in the ground by a tiny little chain that they could effortlessly breakaway from if it wasn’t for their thoughts or conditioning. The inspiration for this post came from the following video that a pastor shared at Encounter Weekend. Enjoy!
So many people conform to the power of their present results. Never settle for the chains imposed upon you. Emotional chains are the most difficult chains to break. You are strong enough to break free, even if you accepted a long time ago that you were not.
You have something special to give to the world! Please do not deprive us of your gift.
Are you playing full out? Or is something holding you back – like a leash, reins, or chains – keeping you from being the creative, flowing, and radiant being that you know yourself to be? Please leave a comment below.
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A very thoughtful post. I completely agree that we ourselves define our limits, which acts as a troubleshooting element in the process of attaining success. The comparison with a circus elephant that you quoted in this post, make the meaning of the post crystal clear. I particularly liked this line ” the only limits that exist are those that we impose upon ourselves”. A very motivating post. Thanks for sharing it.
I honestly tend to impose limits on myself by being selective about the tasks and opportunities extended to me and by underestimating my capabilities, I hope that through this meaningful encounter I can break free from what hinders me from becoming a better individual. Thanks for sharing your inspiring insights.
I immensely enjoyed reading your article, I think that we are all bound by limitations that we tend to impose instead of focusing on acquiring a positive mindset that will allow us to transcend borders. Thank you!
I wasn’t really clear on where you were going with the post until I watched that very powerful video. Then when I read your post again I got a real clear understand of the power of your message. Thank you for sharing this!!!
Clint Butler recently posted..Your Personal Story Article Template
Hey Rachel,
Its is sad that sometimes we are held back by our beliefs, past habits, experiences and more, when what we should be doing is reaching out and achieving our dreams.
I particularly love the line in your post above “The only limits that exist are those that we impose upon ourselves.” Sometimes circumstance holds us back, but even when then, we are able to make little adjustments one step at a time to position our selves to where we really want to be.
Beth
Beth Hewitt recently posted..How to never stop Blogging
Rachel,
I think I’ve heard about that elephant metaphor about our life more than a dozen times but for some reason watching it this time around made me feel so heartbroken not just for the elephants and their lack of freedom, but for the choices that some people make due to the conditioning of their personal upbringing.
Personally, it makes me so appreciative and thankful for the life I chose for myself today – even though I didn’t grow up in a positive environment. And wow, isn’t it amazing with the power of one? It is because of my choices that the seeds are being planted into the minds of my kids and my husband in the direction and course of certainty about their life.
Thank you Rachel for sharing this post on conditioning with us. It’s a simple reminder that we all have the power of choice.
-Jaclyn Castro
Jaclyn Castro recently posted..Step-by-Step CamStudio Installation (Free Video Screen Capture software)
We unlike the elephant, can break that chain of the past and create a new future, thanks for the heartfelt words in this post.
Lynda Cromar recently posted..Understanding And Dealing With Rejection in Your MLM Network Marketing Business
Hi Rachel,
conditioning can be very powerful.
Emotional chains get ‘thicker’ and stronger the more they are reinforced.
Thank you for inspiring us to break free.
Fortunately reconditioning can be quicker than the original conditioning.
There is hope.
Cheers,
Yorinda
Yorinda recently posted..Forgivness and Feelings
Hey Rachel, once you are exposed to or realize what your values are or which values may be in conflict with your desires you are then in a position to be able to make those changes. Awareness is a critical first step which if a person would simply take the time to do a self-assessment, they would be a big step towards correcting the issue.
Hans Schoff recently posted..MLM Recruiting Tips – The Profitable Way To Use MLM Tools For An MLM Home Business
Enjoyed your article Rachel. I see a lot of people using mindset and attitude as though it means the same thing, but it’s not at all because your attitude can change based your experiences. Mindset (conditioning if you will) on the other hand is much harder to change and almost always involves a good deal of uncomfortable stretching outside our comfort zone. The good news is it can be done if someone has the desire and determination!
marquita herald recently posted..Learning to Appreciate the Awesome Moments in Life
Glad you enjoyed the article Marquita
Wow! I’ve heard the elephant story probably 100 times now and I nearly skipped your video but that has to be one of the most impactful versions of it… and how it relates… that I’ve seen. Its not often something today leaves me with a lump in my throat but that sure did. Makes ya think for sure!
Kim
PS: Reset your commentluv settings to defaults and see if it clears the error we are all getting “Error. Parsing JSON Request failed. error! not authorized af5b6ff08e” If it does not, open a support ticket at support.commentluv.com (Please edit my comment to remove the PS)… actually, after thinking about it, you may be running an old version and not updated. If so, thats why your visitors are not getting any luv from you.
Hi Kim,
Like you, I had heard that story several times and never had it impact me until I viewed that video. The image stayed with me for several hours so I wrote the post while it was still fresh in my mind.
P.S. Don’t know what was up with Comment Luv when you were leaving your comment. All seems well, in fact, it seems that others visiting my blog a bit before and after you have there ‘luv’. Thanks for the FYI though.
Hello Rachel
Like the elephant most people are not aware of their conditioning. Your quote on your about page “I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are your works, and my soul knows very well. Psalm 139:14″, is a message that people need to become conscious of. Not only are we wonderfully made we have been given what we need to achieve greatness. Thanks for people like you who take the time to help people see the error in their thinking.
Thanks
Perry A Davis Jr
Music City
Perry A Davis Jr recently posted..The art of influence and persuasion.
Ah, thanks for saying that Perry. I love that scripture and believe it with all of my heart. Our greatness is not dependent upon anything we accomplish. We really do not need to prove anything to anyone–not even ourselves. We are all already great. To live our greatness, we must know who we are and we must do what we can do in this moment. I don’t believe that anything else is required.
Hi Rachael,
This is a thought provoking article and message. Personally, I am repulsed by conditioning. I see it everywhere, every day. I’ve always felt something wasn’t right and I’ve always had the underlying feeling that freedom is a natural instinct. When we try to flow with that natural existence of freedom yet stuck in a society that is conditioned to behave differently, it can be very lonely.
I participated in the Unstoppable Entrepreneur and Unstoppable Millionaire and I am not mentioning these experiences to brag but to present the example that I have had the opportunity to be with entrepreneurs who are like-minded, free, joyful, abundant, authentic, and independent people. It is time to realize that there is a part of our society (including global) that has either rebelled from the conditioning and were looked upon as “rebellious” or their instincts were strong enough to eventually realize the insanity and break away to become who they are meant to become. I surround myself with my “free” friends who look at life through the eyes of positive thinking, spirituality, and “like-mindedness.”
I am smack dab in the middle of “the breakaway.” An analogy would be that the chain is broken, and the power is realized. However, I’m still in that struggle to gain momentum move to the next level. Continuing to surround myself with the unbounded people will help reach my potential.
I used to like being in the comfort zone and now I realize that the general population is quite happy there and not willing to change because they don’t realize they are being controlled and conditioned to conform. It’s easier to not make waves. It is sad because every one of us is talented in some way and we are meant to be great. Unfortunately, the conditioning has destroyed the possibilities for many people. I do not want to be negative but I see so much abuse, alcoholism, depression, drug addiction, and sadness. It really doesn’t have to be that way.
The crabs in the bucket analogy is superb to illustrate how others can be blindly led to behave because of emotions tied to jealously, negativity, and conspiracy. The animal kingdom has a lot to teach us. The elephant video is sad and it takes very strong parents to teach their children early on to think for themselves and resist the conditioning. We are in the cradle to grave controlled society and it isn’t going to reverse itself. The schools continue the conditioning until adulthood. It will be interesting to see which generation succeeds in turning it around.
Thanks Rachael. I’m sorry this post is so long. You hit a nerve!
Raena Lynn
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Hi Raena,
I don’t view your comment as negative at all. You make sad but true statements and I can easily get right up on that soap box with you on this topic. Congratulations on your breakaway!
This is such an important post, Rachel! It's such a tough task to identify what how we've been conditioned as the video you shared so perfectly shows. If those poor elephants only knew! And it just goes to show how strong our beliefs can be whether they work for us or against us.
I've been conditioned into believing that it matters what people think of me if I look ridiculous when I try new things. =P That's something that has been affecting my progress these days and I think it's a form of conditioning that we all face at times. I have some friends who never try new things because they don't want to face that kind of "embarrassment." It's something that I've been trying to work on these days. =)
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Hi Samantha,
I can relate to your vulnerability. I think that the one thing that held me back from living the life I desired was fear of looking ridiculous. I played small because I was afraid of what people thought. Thank God that I learned that my thoughts and beliefs, conscious or subconscious, can seriously sabotage my success. I believe this is the MAIN reason why people do not succeed in life.
The problem with conditioning is that you don't know you're being controlled by it because if you did it would be so much easier to break those shackles. For many people this conditioning has put them into a comfort zone, one which they are not willing to leave because they prefer to stay there rather than venture out into the unknown.
Hi Sire,
Yes, and therein lies the challenge–getting people to see what they have never looked at. Conditioning from childhood is deep and has created many “contractions” inside the body that we are not aware of. This unawareness is what perpetuates the flow of negative challenging thoughts and feelings. The only way to freedom is to bring total awareness to these hidden parts.
Hi Rachel,
The unfortunate part of our conditioning as we grow up is that our parents do not realise that they are condeming us to a life of "ordinary'… I don't think any parent would do that… they are only "trying to help"!
With people like you helping the next generation realise their potential hopefully it will spread and we as humans will arise to the greatness we were born for.
Great post and thanks for sharing.
Cheers
Bryan
Hi Bryan,
I totally agree that parents do not realize the poor conditioning they are subjecting us to. When my brother and I are venting (in love) about the mistakes we feel that our parents made while rearing us, we tend to end the conversation with the statement: “Well, mom and dad did not arise each morning asking how can we screw up the kids today”
Thanks for sharing.
I would like to use that film too, Rachel. A 'picture' is worth a thousand words, so true.
I had people look surprised when I started my blog. They gave me the impression that it was a waste of my time and would go nowhere.
I smile when someone gives me that impression. I'm proud that I ignored them and left the chains behind.
Thanks so much. This video should be a 'must see' for all who lack confidence.
Of course you may use the film Linda. Even if I owned the film, I would want to share it with the world because I, too, believe that the visual has the potential to make those living with their perceived limitations rethink them.
Hi Rachel, I'm not surprised the video inspired you to write this post. It was such a moving video that i had a lump in my throat, especially with the fire and seeing the elephants chained.
It really drives home the message of conditioning. You know when I first started online I would tell my friends and watch them pull funny faces at each other with winks and grins as if to say "yeah right and who does he think he is Bill Gates" I still get it sometimes. But you know what Rachel, those people are still drinking in the same bars, still struggling to find work on the building sites and still doing nothing to change their situations.
I'm not making large amounts of money but my knowledge is growing more and more and I know that I will make it online because i am constantly pushing myself to do so and I have the belief that I can do whatever I put my mind to (it's just a matter of time).
Great post Rachel, thanks for sharing it and adding the video.
Barry
Barry Wells recently posted..Learn With Sally: Our First Webinar and One Fear Faced
Hi Barry,
Your comment leads me to think of the crabs that we have in our lives–the people who love us but want us to stay in the same bucket that they are in. For readers who are not familiar with the metaphor:
I love hearing the stories like yours Barry–where you had the confidence and stability to shut out their voices and go after what you wanted!
What a beautiful post Rachel, I also agree. I had also heard the stories of the elephants some time back but had never watched the video. The burning in the buildings due to be chained brought tears to my eyes. That just broke my heart.
You are right, we are conditioned as children and we don't know any better. I know that I didn't. But once we know better we do better. I just hope that many others will learn this same lesson and become who they were meant to be. Break those chains once and for all.
Thanks for sharing this inspirational story. Was very moving.
Adrienne
Hi Adrienne,
My eyes were watering as I watch the video also.
I love helping to raise awareness in others of the potential and, thus far, it seems to be much easier to do with teenagers. As you said, once they know better, they can do better.
Thanks for sharing.
Hey Rachel,
I totally agree that we have the power to change our mindset, choose how we live our lives, and what values and goals we want to fulfill.
However, I do worry that some people take the "mindset creates reality" thing too far. It's healthy to be aware that there are other things that affect our lives that can be outside of our control. I tried to write about some of this in my recent post: http://www.theemotionmachine.com/dangerous-trends-in-personal-development
I DO think your overall message is right, I just wanted to make this small caveat.
Cheers!
Hi Steven,
I probably should not be responding to your comment before reading your post…but I will anyway.
As a Christian, I wrestle with that concept to a degree. If I absolutely believed that, then I do not know where I would put God since He orders my footsteps. Much of what I teach and coach around are theories that I learned in preparation for my certification and, of course, my on-going training. I have not yet experienced everything that I coach around; however, I only argue what I know that I know…beyond my intellect. It is important to me that I am always willing to think as big and boldly about ideas as you might want a client to.
Hopefully readers will hop over to read your post. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Rachel,
Awesome post and loved the video. Knew the story about the elephants but like Janet had not seen this video. Whenever I hear this story my heart pains so for these beautiful creatures – my favorites by the way, who despite their immense strength are made to be so weak.
Just as the elephants don't know that they are so much more so many humans suffer the in the same way. The challenge is how do they realize they are more if they don't know?We can tell them but does that really do it? Or are we just messengers planting seeds? We all have to wake up in our own way I guess and it only happens when we are ready to do so.
~Marcus
Hi Marcus,
I do not think that most people know how great they are. Some people have been told that they have lots of potential or that they are wasting their potential. I don’t know if they don’t believe it, don’t know how to tap into it, or just don’t want to do the inner work to reach it.
Sad, isn’t it?
Hi Rachel,
this is powerful stuff, thanks for sharing. When they're grown up, even a tiny little rope they could easily do away with is sufficient to keep them in place. That's how far reaching this conditioning is.
While we might "laugh" about the elephants, we forget about our laughter that we are not that much different. It's even worse because we are supposed to be co-creators and most of us don't fulfill this role even remotely.
What kind of fire do you need to break free from the chains that are no more than beliefs ?
Take care
Oliver
Hi Oliver,
You are correct–most people do not realize that they are not even remotely living up to their potential. It is so sad. When I showed this video during my mastermind group meeting, only two people understood its relevance right away.
My fire to break through my chains is simply my becoming tired of being sick and tired. I set my mind to do anything necessary to reach my potential. I’m finding that there are layers–like an onion–that I must work through.
Hi Rachel,
what a beautiful post and video. Luckily, I was never put on chains and I was raised believing I could achieve anything I wanted. At some point in my life, I was with someone who imprisoned himself and I thought I could safe him but instead I put myself on the same chains until six years later, I had to say I have to go. You can't safe others, it's a personal decision and I am hoping more people will decide to break free!!
Thank you so much for sharing -I am glad you left a comment on my blog, who knows if I had found you otherwise?
Franziska San Pedro
The Abstract Impressionist Artress
Hi Franziska,
How blessed you are to be brought up by authority figures who told you that you could achieve anything. I have met and worked with so many people who do not think that they can burst out from their mental chains (if they even admit that they have them).
My favorite clients are children. Part of my purpose is to teach them that they are infinitely powerful individuals so that they do not live a lifetime
of mediocrity and hopelessness.
I wish that I knew then what I knew know. Busting those beliefs I grew up with has been a lot of work.
Thanks for sharing and I hope to run into you online frequently.
Rachel, aloha. Though I knew the story of elephant conditioning with chains, I had never seen this movie. It is magnificent. Thank you so much for sharing it.
Actually, childhood conditioning is so powerful that more often than not, it does last a lifetiime. As it relates to money, it seems that people are either exactly the same as their parents or 180 degrees; there seems to be no middle ground.
Rachel, since I am a serial entrepreneur, I have to say that I play full out. As it happens, I thrive on change, new projects, new ventures and new experiences.
Wishing you a fantastic August. Until next time, aloha. Janet
P.S. Rachel, I may have to use this clip in a post. Naturally, I will link back to give you credit for the introduction.
Thanks for sharing Janet.
I love meeting people like you who are doing all that they can to achieve their dreams and goals. I believe that everything happens easier for us if we can shed the version of ourselves that is playing small and instead allow ourselves to create a vision that inspires us into action.
Hi Rachel,
That video is too much like life for us humans. Kinda scary when we think about it. There was a motto that I read that said, “Get them by 8 or it’s too late”. Talking about the age of 8 and how by then most humans are predisposed to a life of conformity and compliance.
Justin | Mazzastick recently posted..Change The Projector Of Your Reality
I agree Justin. The video disturbed me, not only to see the elephants bound by their conditioning, but because most humans are bound in their conditioning also. Was it Les Brown who said ‘most people die never realizing their greatness”?
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