Helplessness - The Baby Elephant Syndrome
Moving through Helplessness

Have you seen elephants tied up at the circus? They are held in place by a little chain around the ankle fastened into the ground by a stake. This multi-ton animal is held in place by something you or I could probably pull out.

Why does this happen?

When elephants are small, they are trained to stay in one place by a huge heavy chain and a stake securely fastened. Every time the little one tries to pull away, it can't. It's securely held in place. Soon, this baby pachyderm will be convinced that no matter how hard it tries, it can't get away. It gives up.

Have you met people that act as if they are helpless? You, the objective party, can see myriad of options to move out of their "stuck" position. The limitations you see, seem minor and easily overcome. If you are the one who feels "stuck," the barriers appear as concrete walls rather than flimsy screen doors, no matter what anyone says.

If you find excuses for why you don't attain your dreams, you are caught in the same illusion of helplessness as a circus elephant.

What can you do to change your perception?

1. Make a list of all your strengths. Jot down how you utilize each strength.

2. Write down your "favorite" excuses for lack of accomplishing. Write down what you could have done or can do to overcome this excuse.

2. Find a mentor. This can be a mental health professional, friend or coach. This person will tell you if your perceptions, the chains holding you in place, are real or an illusion. Depending upon your personality, you might need to take a risk to believe them.

3. Take baby steps in moving beyond your limitations. Someone who is learning to walk again receives physical therapy. The therapist uses patterned movement, braces and other support to retrain the person. You will need to take a small step at a time.

4. At the same time, you need to blast through the illusion of what blocks you.

5. Choose one perceived impediment at a time to work on. When you change one, the others will begin to shift.

5. Be patient. The imprinting of powerlessness goes back a long way. You need time and effort to overcome it.

You have the capability to think, test and evaluate. Use that capability to achieve your goal of coming into your power.

Cathy Chapman, Ph.D., LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker assisting people achieve their dreams of health, wealth and abundance through Mind-Body Psychology. She works from a spiritual and energetic model employing BodyTalk and Psych-K to balance the body and change beliefs.

by Cathy Chapman, PhD., LCSW -

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