Get Off The Nail
Over the years I have met and observed thousands of people, and nearly each one has said that he or she wants some improvement in certain areas of his or her life. In fact, most of them flat out confessed that they hated certain situations they were in. But after further evaluations, I discovered that very few of them were willing to do anything about it. It seemed to be good enough for them to just sit there and wallow in their pain, anguish, and misery.
Last year, motivational speaker Les Brown and I were chatting after we had both conducted trainings for a Network Marketing Company. We were talking about the number of people who say they want to make changes but don't seem to ever do anything about it. I told him that the situation reminded me of a story I heard him tell an audience over 10 years ago. Here's how the story goes&
One day a man was walking down the street on his way to work. As he walked down the street, there were dogs on just about every front porch, and they all would bark as the man walked passed them. However, there was one dog that he remembered, because this dog would just sit there whimpering and whining and moaning as if he were in pain.
The man was curious as to why this dog was whimpering and not barking like the others. He couldn't figure it out, so he just kept walking to work. The next day the same thing happened. All the dogs barked except for the one. And again, this one dog whimpered and moaned. Still, the man couldn't figure out what was wrong with the dog, so he kept walking. This happened every day for a week. By Friday, the man got fed up with the whimpering dog, so he went to the front door of the dog owner's house and knocked.
A man came out and said, "Yes, how may I help you?"
The passerby said, "Sir, is this your dog?"
"Yes, that's my dog."
"Well, what's wrong with him?"
The owner of the dog said, "What do you mean?"
"Well, he's been sitting here moaning and groaning, whimpering and whining for an entire week.
The rest of the dogs are barking. Your dog should be barking too. Why is he moaning and
groaning?"
The owner said, "Well, he's actually sitting on a nail."
"What! Your dog is sitting on a nail. Why doesn't he get off?"
"Well, I guess it just doesn't hurt him enough."
Wow! Most people are like that dog sitting on a nail. Sure, they would like to get off the nail, but what if they got off the nail and something worse happened? They never seem to consider that maybe they would be healed, maybe they would be free, maybe they would be able to move about and discover some new and exciting options for their lives. But, no. Instead, they just sit on that nail because they're not sure what's going to happen if they get off.
These people are the first ones to tell you that sitting on a nail is certainly not the best feeling in the world. It's not comfortable; it actually hurts a little; but at least they know what to expect. They know that they have $900 per week coming in so they can pay their bills, put food on the table, put some clothes on their back, and keep a roof over their heads. That's enough for most people.
These people may even get upset with you if you question their so-called security. If you hand them a book or tape program or tell them about a seminar that can give them some effective strategies for getting off nails, they may resent you for it.
Thank goodness you're different. You are willing to learn some effective nail removing strategies that could set you free, because you and I both know that there is no such thing as security. Well, maybe I should take that back. I do know of a place where security exists on this planet. It's called the graveyard. And you know what? Most people tip toe through life so that they can arrive at the graveyard safely.
Of course, this will not be you, right? That's right. Because instead of moaning and groaning, whimpering and whining about not getting the results you desire, you are a Charging Rhino. And Rhinos always choose to get off the nail and create the conditions they desire.