Un-Breaking Yourself

There's a story of a circus bear named Lolly. Lolly was born and bred in an 8ft. by 8 ft. square enclosure and that's where she stayed most of her life when she wasn't performing. After years of performing for audiences across the country, the circus went out of business and all the animals were released into a sanctuary. This would be their retirement, so to speak. They'd have the feel of wide-open spaces and freedom while being in a protected environment. All of the animals released seemed to be thriving, except for Lolly. The researchers found that Lolly was starving to death because she stayed stuck in an 8ft by 8 ft. vicinity. They called it the 8 ft. shuffle, because she would just walk back and forth, as if she was still confined to her cage. You see, Lolly had the freedom and strength to move about freely in this vast refuge, but in her mind, she was still caged. She had the power, but she didn't know it, and to her, it was the same as not having it. And that's the same thing with many of us today. We have been systematically conditioned to believe that we don't have power. And so, many of us are metaphorically engaging in this 8 ft. shuffle. We keep doing things the way we've always done them and so we keep getting what we've always gotten. We become fearful to venture outside our comfort zone. All these things that we do, keep us playing small, keep us limited, and keep us confined in our symbolic cages. We must make every effort to see our power for what it really is, and grow it by using the strategies discussed in this book. It's only then that you start growing into the best version of yourself. When you do that, you help others do the same as well. Because when you let your light shine, you unconsciously give others permission to allow theirs to shine as well. That's what Unbreaking Yourself is all about.