THE ELEPHANT – THE STORY OF WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO
This is your story. This is about us. This is universal. This story connects us all. You’ll see why.
No matter how much he wanted to get away, the chain made it impossible.
He longed to be free.
He spent many days trying to get away, bruising and hurting himself… his owners shouted and said, “You’re a bad elephant.”
Then, he just gave up fighting.
He just started to comply because at least, he had food and shelter. His “owners” also loved him more when he was such a “good” elephant, doing what he was expected to do every day.
Freedom became such an old myth.
He grew and became incredibly strong, but he remained tied to the chain… complying. He stopped trying to break free for years. He could not remember what it was like to roam free, or that feeling of freedom.
While being tied, he was constantly harassed by pacts of mice, biting and nibbling and hurting his feet, and ants that made his life miserable.
One hot day, while being tied on the same chain, he was chasing a stray mouse off while sitting helplessly on the ground. The mouse was relentlessly biting and chewing the elephant’s ankle, then tauntingly scurrying off. The elephant gave an angry tug in an attempt to push the mouse away, and the chain broke.
It was in an instant…
He became free… But what came next?
He didn’t run off. He didn’t cheer.
He felt paralyzed. “What do I do next? I have too many options… I have been thinking about freedom for so long, but… do I take off? What will happen to me?”
The freedom that he longed for so long no longer seemed like what he wanted. He felt his stomach sink and tie into knots.
It took courage to get away from the area where he has been tied for all of its life. He didn’t want to leave his “owners” behind. He felt sad, but decided to have courage and start with a few steps.
He had grown to a majestic size.
The feeling of seeing himself for the very first time opened up so much in his mind. “Wow, I am amazing, I deserve so much better, and I can do this.”
Feeling grand, he went strutting in the forest.
Despite his grand realization, every time he came across bugs and small animals, he felt his heart racing.
His goal was to join a colony of elephants living in a lush paradise on the other side of a mountain.
He had to cross a large colony of ants and mice to get to this lush paradise.
He saw how big the colonies are…
He felt paralyzed and stuck.
Unable to move.
He started to question how big and great he really is.
He tried to push through a few time… but the mice and ants would creep up, and he retreated back to his place.
He remembered the comfort of the chain. He remembered his owners. He missed them.
“Maybe they were right. I am a bad elephant.”
He stayed paralyzed for weeks. Days. Months. Years.
He would have gone back. He tried. The only thing that stopped him from going back to the chains, was that he had forgotten the way back.
What’s next?
Does he make a home staying where he is, without making it to the lush paradise, or does he figure out a plan to get across?
He tries to make a bridge, push himself amidst the terrible little creatures to get across, and even tried spending a few nights in the middle of the colonies. Despite “facing his fears,” he ends up retreating back.
Does he understand that knowing how great you are, and seeing a better potential are only the beginning? They do not equal to having and deserving the life results that he seeks.
Learning is far from real transformation.
You, me, and all of us have conditioning we don’t even know we have. The unknown conditioning is what really shapes our lives. Only your current life results can tell you how much you know about yourself, and how aware you are of your conditioning. We comply without even knowing, because reality starts and ends with our past experiences… we react the same way we always did to stimulus, even when the responses are no longer relevant.
We do the same thing over and over, longing and hoping for brilliant results…
Will you choose transformation, or opt for more learning that keeps you stuck, or fight for slow progress? The truth is, we don’t fake it ’til we make it. We fake it long enough and run on bravado and autopilot, until we crash one day. We call this a rock bottom, or a mid-life crisis. We call this “a life of regrets.”
How would you like to rapidly own your brilliant future, starting now?
“You Can’t Go Back And Change The Beginning, But You Can Start Where You Are And Change The Ending.”
C.S. Lewis
About the Author:
Hi, I’m Julia Cha and I am a Rapid Transformational Therapist and Coach, working with high-achieving professionals and consultants.
I started coaching in 2016, after 4 years of mentorship with an accomplished and seasoned coach and therapist of 30 years who specializes working with tech entrepreneurs and consultants. I have worked with clients in more than 10 countries, across all continents except Antartica!
I am based in Vancouver, Canada, and I continue to work closely with all my international clientele.
You can download my Legacy Worksheet to map out your current direction in your career, and gain clarity on moving forward.
Or schedule a call to discuss your specific situation and my solutions for living a satisfied life of passion, purpose, work-life integration and fulfilment.