I use a lot of metaphors when explaining phenomenon. Our brain loves stories; therefore, it tends to connect and remember ideas more effectively when tied to a metaphor.
To explain how we limit ourselves, I’d love to tell you a story. When baby elephants are being trained, they are tied to trees at the end of a hard day’s work. At that point, because of their size, they are unable to break free from the rope and roam, as they naturally prefer. Elephant tamers continue to tie their trained elephants to trees into their adulthood. Although these adult elephants possess a strong and powerful stature that could easily break the rope or uproot the tree, they remain confined because their prior conditioning convinces them that they can’t break free. They don’t believe they can.
Honoring this tale, experiencing limiting beliefs about oneself is commonly referred to as ‘baby elephant syndrome.’ We have a tendency to see ourselves from a distorted perspective. Perhaps we don’t really acknowledge our true potential. Perhaps we aren’t taking certain risks or opportunities as a result of disbelief in our abilities. Maybe we get paralyzed when attempting to make potentially life-enhancing decisions. Do you experience ‘baby elephant syndrome?’ By simply identifying these limiting beliefs you can create a distancing effect that allows for objectivity and new perspective-taking, which could be fundamental in inspiring behavior changes (breaking the rope!).
