Baby Elephant Syndrome

If there’s one thing I’ve learned on this journey is the way to make things better is to learn more about yourself. It’s important to figure out what you think, and critical to learn why you think that way if you want to truly change. I’ve also learned we spend way too much time looking outside of ourselves for answers because the real answers are already within us. This requires a deep dive into our own thoughts to get a better understanding of where they come from. Realizing this allows us to understand the problem and find the solutions we’re looking for. Many of these thoughts may be self-limiting beliefs, and if we want to move forward we must change them.

Recently I learned of the something called the baby elephant syndrome. Did you know when they want to train an elephant to hold in captivity, they start them out as a baby? They’ll tie the baby to a tree or a pole using a strong rope or chain. The baby tries repeatedly to break free and eventually gives up. Once it realizes it can’t break free it’ll just stop trying. The baby is now conditioned to never struggle to break free when its leg is tied to something. The amazing thing is, even as a grown adult elephant full of power and might, the elephant believes they can’t break free. They won’t even try even if their leg is held by just a piece of twine to a small stick.

There’s also a study on YouTube showing an incredible experiment with fleas. If you put fleas in a jar with a lid on it, you’ll witness surprising behavior. Initially the fleas will jump repeatedly and hit the lid on top of the jar. After a while the fleas will only jump high enough as to not hit the lid anymore. They’ve learned there’s a limit to how high they can jump in order to protect themselves. The amazingly crazy part of this study is you can eventually remove the lid and the fleas won’t jump out. They’ve trained themselves to only jump so high. The incredible part of the study is when these fleas had babies, the baby fleas were born with the same limitations. The babies only jumped high enough as to not hit the lid, even if the lid wasn’t there. How is that possible?

The term baby elephant syndrome is a term to describe hopelessness learned in childhood which becomes hard-wired in our psyche as we grow up. We limit ourselves, like a flea, if we’ve “hit our head” so many times. We’ve learned to limit ourselves and not jump too high to protect ourselves. This may have happened by things said to us, or maybe it was learned by observing our parents.

Perhaps you were born into a family with several overweight members who said things like, “We’re big boned. Our family always struggles with weight issues. It’s who we are.” Self-limiting beliefs sabotage our progress. Hearing statements like these planted seeds into your subconscious and they became self-limiting beliefs. “I’ll always have weight struggles. I’ll never lose weight.”

Maybe you heard comments as a little girl, “Good thing you’re cute because you’re not very smart.” “You’re not smart enough to do that.” Perhaps these self-limiting beliefs came from a critical relationship that was bad for you. Criticisms from a loved one sting and stick around. Hanging onto these thoughts paralyzes us from moving ahead. These thoughts become part of who we think we are when we say things like “I can’t do that.” Self-limiting beliefs causes us to doubt God and prevents us from stepping out in faith. Let’s face it, criticism is far easier for us to believe than when we receive a compliment.

Self-limiting beliefs are thoughts holding us back like a chain around an ankle, or the lid on the jar. These are all lies and have nothing to do with the way God sees us. God sees us as special. 1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.”

One way to overcome self-limiting beliefs is to develop self-awareness. Once we identify them we need to challenge them. Is this really true? How do I know that it’s true? Every action happens as a result of the way we think and what we tell ourselves. If we want to change our lives, we have to change our thinking. 

The best advice I found to lose any self-limiting belief is to meditate on Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” 

You are not a flea. Jump one more time and go as high as you can. The shackle on your ankle is just a string and you have the power of a mighty elephant. God has the power to move mountains for you. Place your self-beliefs into what God says about you for that is the truth.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Philippians 4:14

Father God,

Today I lift up each reader of this post right now for I believe they are reading this, on this exact moment, for a reason. Everything works together for your good and someone reading this right now needs to know the truth. The lies told to them as a child – the lies told to them by an old lover – the lies told to them by a teacher, parent or friend – are just lies. Someone reading this was told they’re not good enough, they’re not smart enough, they’re not pretty enough, they’re not thin enough, or they’re not enough. Help them see with your eyes. Shine a light in their heart so they know who they truly are. Help them to know their value, worth, and truth. Lord, we ask you to break the shackles that binds their ankles. Help us see the lid is removed. Give us freedom to break away from what binds us and to jump. Give us courage, Father, to leap with faith in your truth. Bless this reader and help them know they are enough.

I ask this the name of Jesus – Amen.

Results for the week: -1.0 lbs lost; Total Lost: 40.0

D.O.W. = 524; Starting weight: 182.0; Current weight: 142.0

(Days on the Wagon = Days of food sobriety - no sugar pig-outs!)