While I’m in Dallas I took the opportunity to visit one of my favorite pastor’s church. Our church is PACKED whenever he comes to town. In fact, they don’t even print it in the bulletin when he is going to be there because church is just too crowded.
It was an ON-TIME sermon.
Pastor told a story that I had heard before in a different context about 4 monkeys. This may get long but it is powerful.
So … a scientist was conducting an experiment. He placed 4 monkeys in a room with a pole. At the top of the pole was a bunch of bananas. The first monkey climbed up to get the bananas and was met by a blast of cold water. He squealed and ran back down the pole.
He got to the bottom and decided to try again. Same cold shower.
The second monkey decided to try it. He too was showered with freezing water. After some time, the third monkey tried too but the others kept him from going up the pole.
The scientist replaced the second monkey with a monkey that had not been privy to the previous experiments. The monkey saw the bananas and went for it. The other monkeys stopped him.
Even after the scientist removed the water source, the monkeys wouldn’t go for the bananas.
Eventually the scientist replaced the monkeys one by one until there were 4 new monkeys that had never been hit with the cold water. But guess what, none of them would attempt to get the bananas.
The message in this is sometimes what holds us back is our experience (the original 2 monkeys).
Sometimes we are held back by what we see others go through (monkeys #3 and 4)
But what is even more interesting is that sometimes we are held back by an ingrained sense of helpnessness. (the new generation of monkeys)
That really hit home for me because sometimes it is my fear of success that has kept me from moving forward and sometimes it is because of some of the negative experiences I have had. I worry about my performance on part 2 of my boards because I had a hard time with part 1. Never mind I have done well in my last 2 years of med school. Fear is so powerful.
I’ve been praying on this since it affects lots of aspects of my life… relationships, finances, school…
What’s keeping you from your bananas?
