“I am a rider on the back of an elephant…….
“I’m holding the reins in my hands and
by pulling one way or the other I can tell the elephant to turn, to stop, or to go.
“I can direct things, but only when the elephant doesn’t have desires of his own. When the elephant really wants to do something, I’m no match for him.”*
What a great metaphor!
My elephant needs lots of cajoling before it will actually take a walk in the cold, work on learning Balance Gym, or address Christmas cards.
This time of year my elephant desires sugar. Once I give in, there’s no stopping him.
Introduce yourself to your elephant. Get to know him. I’m betting that he’s more active this time of year.
Thanks for exploring the mystery – Nicky Mendenhall
*Cal Newport’s blog, Study Hacks, is a favorite because his discipline to plan every hour intrigues and horrifies me. Cal attributes the elephant story to the first chapter in Jonathan Haidt’s, The Happiness Hypothesis.