Entrepreneurs, Elephants and Business Success
Business success preoccupies brilliant, wonderful, beautiful entrepreneurs with dreams to make a big footprint on the world. But making a big footprint isn’t what you have in common with an elephant. In fact, without changes, the elephant is far better equipped to make that big mark than most entrepreneurs will ever be.
Why? Because of what you and elephants DO have in common, limiting beliefs about how far you can go in this world. And that shared belief system keeps most entrepreneurs turning in circles, digging themselves into a lifetime rut, rather than striking out to conquer new terrain and securing an incredible, purpose-driven life of prosperity.
You see, all animals (yes, that’s you!) are trained from the time they are very young to believe that they can only go so far.
When a captive baby elephant is small (200-300lb), a chain is placed around its ankle. That chain is then attached to a stake that is hammered into the ground. At first, the baby elephant pulls and tugs, trying to free itself. But without making progress, the elephant finally gives up, coming to the belief that it can never free itself.
This is the belief that stays with the elephant through its golden years, which can average 70 years…some live up to 82-years. Even when that magnificent elephant reaches its adult weight of up to 12 TONS, it never pulls against the stake–which by now probably seems like a little splinter of wood stuck in the ground.
The elephant is complacent, resigned, full of a belief that it is “stuck” and will never travel farther than the length of its chain.
Are you stuck, resigned, complacent? Do you believe, even though you don’t want to, that you can only go as far as your invisible chain? Is your business success limited by your beliefs?
Our intelligence knows where we want to go. Our imaginations conjure vibrant images of the fantastic journeys that await us on the way to achieve our goals of a prosperous life and business. And we certainly can entertain for hours the glories of the life of our dreams. But our belief system, one that took shape in us when we were very young, unconsciously dictates to us what we can or cannot do.
No limits on business success
If we believe we can fly and conquer the world, we will. If we believe we can not move outside of the rut of our normal path, we will not. If we are chained by negative thoughts and fear, we will never pull the splinter out of the ground and run wild and free. (I don’t know about you, but I can already feel the cool air brushing past my big, floppy ears!)
As intelligent humans, we can come to understand that our beliefs are just thoughts that have taken shape. They are not iron bars and concrete walls. Our thoughts are creations of our own mind. And they can be changed through consciousness and intentional practice.
Through insightful reflection, we can come to identify our limiting negative beliefs. Upon identifying them, we can create new empowering beliefs. With new beliefs, we can increase our sense of self-esteem, confidence, courage and prosperity!
Affirmations are one of the best ways to begin to change negative beliefs into positive ones. To help you along your way…to help you move that one foot forward to free yourself from the imaginary chains that keep you stuck, here is a link to My Powerful Affirmations worksheet.
Only by changing our thoughts can we become the individual we dream of being, enjoying a life of purpose-driven prosperity and business success that extends from our kitchen around the globe.
Learn more about how you can boost your business success. Watch a replay of a webinar of Kathleen Aston; Boost Your Business Skills: How to Develop More Confidence.