of little elephants and big elephants

I just want to quote this story from Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) Gea Ban Peng which I thought was really inspiring for people who are resistant to changes.

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The animal trainer shackled the little baby elephant with a thick chain to a huge tree. The baby elephant kept trying to break the chain but it could not. And it kept trying to pull the tree down but it could not.

Throughout its infancy, the baby elephant kept trying to break the chain and it kept trying to pull the tree down. And it kept failing. Over time, it began to believe it was not possible to break free. Eventually, it ceased trying to escape. Finally, it gave up.

When the elephant grew big and strong, all its handler had to do was to place a little rope around one of its legs and anchor it to a peg in the ground. The big elephant would not attempt to escape. Its experience had taught them it would be futile to do so. It had become a prisoner of its past.