When I had come across an esteemed counsellor my first question to him was how do you solve the problems of those people that approach you. His answer was simple but very meaningful. He replied saying I don’t solve people’s problems, I just help they realise their potential of solving it themselves.
Step one of solving a problem is realising what it is. In my personal experience when I faced a dramatic change in my academics I encountered several failures. The things I had planned for myself didn’t work out due to which I slowly started slipping out. I didn’t fight with failure any more but embraced it and made it my friend. I kept mourning over it for over 2 years.
A few months back I had attended a mock Interview in college. When the interviewer saw my resume he realised my true potential and said that I was making a waste of it. He asked me the reason why so and I bluntly told him why. He thought about it for a moment and replied ‘I understand what you went through and it is fine to mourn over it. But 2 years is too long. Stop licking you wounds and get up and face it’. Those words ticked off something in my head. And I realised what I am now is not what I am meant to be. This thought helped me make my escape from failure and climb the steps of success.
I had read a very interesting experiment which was conducted in the 60’s. The scientists in this experiment had this large cage. Half of the floor delivered a mild electric shock, the other half didn’t. They put a dog in the cage, and it quickly learned to stay on the side that didn’t have the shock. The scientists then switched which side had the shock, and again, the dog learned to avoid half of the cage. In the third test, they electrified the entire floor. The dog got the shock no matter where it stepped. At first it was confused, then panicked. Finally, the dog gave up, lay down on the floor and no longer tried to figure out how to avoid the shock. In the fourth test the scientists kept the floor electrically activated but opened the cage door so that the dog could leap out.
They were stunned when the dog didn’t scramble off the floor that was delivering mild shocks, and make its leap to freedom. They concluded that an animal exposed to unavoidable pain will eventually adapt to it, so that when it’s given a chance to freedom, the natural instinct to run has been negated.
We are no different from this dog. We have the potential to escape but we neglect it and adapt to the pain and failure. Failure is unavoidable. But overcoming it is our choice. It is the stepping stone to success. Each time you face it step over it in order to reach the top and touch the sky. If you are in the same place where I was realise you are not trapped. The door is wide open. Only you can redeem yourself. You have the key to your freedom!!
