I recently came across an experiment conducted over 150 years ago that’s stuck with me. It involved a northern pike, a predatory fish, placed in a tank. Initially, the pike freely attacked and consumed small fish introduced into the tank. But partway through the experiment, researchers inserted a glass wall into the tank. On one side, the pike swam, and on the other side, the smaller fish were introduced.
As you might expect, the pike charged at the fish again and again, each time hitting the glass barrier. Over time, the pike’s attacks became less frequent until, eventually, it stopped trying altogether. The interesting part came when the researchers removed the glass. Now, with no physical barrier between the pike and the fish, the pike still didn’t make a move. It had become so conditioned by its previous failures that it no longer believed it could succeed. The pike starved to death, surrounded by food but limited by its own learned limitations.
This experiment got me thinking about how we, too, can become trapped by our own limiting beliefs. Sometimes, we hit walls in our personal lives, careers, or relationships, and after repeated failures, we stop trying. We tell ourselves, “Why bother? I’ll just fail again.” Just like the pike, we end up sitting still while opportunities swim by, convinced that the glass wall is still there when, in reality, it might have been removed long ago.
The reality is that many of the barriers we face are ones we create in our minds. Sure, there may have been real obstacles at one point, like the glass divider in the tank, but over time, we set our limits based on those setbacks and let them dictate our future actions. The challenge is recognizing when those barriers no longer exist. Have you stopped pursuing a goal because you faced too many rejections? Do you find yourself avoiding opportunities out of fear of failure? If so, it’s time to ask whether those obstacles are still real or if they’ve just become part of your mental landscape.
The pike’s failure to adapt ultimately led to its demise, but we don’t have to follow the same path. Limiting beliefs can be overcome, but it requires effort, awareness, and a willingness to challenge those beliefs. Think about areas in your life where you’ve given up or where you hold yourself back. What would happen if you tried again with a fresh perspective? Sometimes, the hardest part is taking that first step after a string of failures, but that’s where growth happens. Wayne Gretzky said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Gretzky knew the barriers we once faced may still be there, but it’s up to us to find out if this is the time we beat them.
That Leads Me to This Week’s Challenge…
This week, I challenge you to identify areas in your life where you may have given up or stopped trying. Ask yourself whether the obstacles that once held you back are still real or if you’ve simply conditioned yourself to believe they are. Then, take a step forward. Try again. Don’t let fear or limiting beliefs keep you at the bottom of the tank while opportunities swim by. You might just find that the glass wall has been removed and that you’re free to succeed.
I’m thankful you took the time to read this, for choosing to work, and for being part of what makes this world amazing.
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