Don’t Run Away and Join the Flea Circus!

Lesson in False Limitations From an Insect

By Michael Gannon

Have you ever been to a Flea Circus? Have you ever even heard of a Flea Circus? It is the flea’s super hero-like ability that has allowed them to be trained to do such things as pull a mini cart, walk a tightrope or hop from one pre-determined place to another.

Of the entire insect world, fleas are by far the best jumpers. That little black speck, that sometimes you cannot even see, can jump 8 to 10-inches high! Many, many times it’s own size. To put that in perspective, imagine yourself able to leap from a standstill position to the height of a 100-story building!

So how are fleas trained for the circus? By being conditioned into limitations. If you put a flea inside a 6-inch glass, it will simply jump right out. And each time you put him back in that glass, again he will jump right out. Now, when you place some plastic wrap over the top of the glass, the flea will continue to jump with it’s super strong legs intending to clear the top of the glass, only to crash into the top and fall back down to the bottom of the glass. And then again, and again and again. This will go on and on and on, as the flea has no learning capacity about the ceiling that has been placed above him. This even can go on all day, and sometimes till the next day.

When you come back to your flea the next morning, you will see that he is now jumping to the point of just below the ceiling of the glass. And, he will continue jumping repeatedly without crashing into the top of the glass.

Fast-forward to the next day, where you have removed the plastic wrap from the top of your glass. What do you think you will find? The flea is still jumping to that same point of just below the top of the glass. Repeatedly! Even though the previously limiting ceiling is gone, the flea still does not jump beyond the top of the glass. You know he has he potential to clear the glass. You had observed it many times just days before ,as he simply leaped out of the glass at will.  What happened? Has he become lazy?  Has he forgotten his true potential?

This month, I invite you to look at where you may have joined the Flea Circus in your life!  Where have you relaxed into a comfort zone?  In what are you holding back?  With whom have you become complacent?  How have you accepted doing good, when you have the capacity to do great?

When you do find an area of your life that has evolved into being held back by false limitations, look deeply.  Be honest with yourself and reevaluate your true potential.  And if you are not sure what exactly that potential is, give yourself the benefit of the doubt and increase it by 2 to 10 times beyond where you are.

Remember, every time there is an opportunity to jump… it is YOU who gets to answer the question, “How high?”.