Hi there,
One of my favorite quotes, which I shared in my “ReThink High Performance” course, comes from Henry Ford. He said:
“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t–you’re right”
Here is the truth:
Our beliefs shape our reality.
The way we think influences how we act, how we interact with others, and ultimately, what we achieve.
When we doubt ourselves, we unconsciously limit our potential.
Story of the Elephant Camp
You may have heard this story before but let me share it again:
While walking through an elephant camp, a woman noticed that the elephants were only secured by a small rope tied around one of their ankles.
These massive creatures, weighing thousands of pounds, could easily break free.
Yet, they didn’t.
Curious, she asked one of the keepers,
“Why don’t the elephants try to break the rope and run away?”
The keeper explained,
“When the elephants were very young, we used the same small rope to tie them up.
At that age, the rope was strong enough to hold them.
As they grew, they still believed the rope could hold them,
so they never try to break free.”
The key lesson of this beautiful story for me is about the power of mindset.
Just like those elephants, we often allow the limitations we learned in the past to hold us back, even when we’re capable of so much more.
These mental barriers can feel as real as physical chains.
But how much of this is rooted in reality, and how much of it is simply in our minds?
Dartmouth Scar Experiment
Let’s explore this with an interesting psychological experiment.
In 1980, Dartmouth psychologist Dr. Robert Kleck conducted an experiment with a group of undergraduate students.
The students were split into two groups, and one group was told they would have a large, visible scar painted on their face by a makeup artist before a series of interviews.
After the makeup was applied, they were shown their new “scar” in the mirror.
Here’s the twist: before the interviews began, the makeup artists secretly removed the scar without telling the participants.
So while they believed they had a scar, in reality, they appeared completely normal to the interviewers.
The results were fascinating.
The participants who believed they had a scar reported that the interviewers treated them differently.
They felt judged, powerless, and noticed subtle slights they attributed to their appearance.
However, the participants without the supposed scar had no such feelings.
The lesson here is that the belief that they had a scar—an external flaw—altered how they saw the world.
They interpreted neutral or ambiguous behaviors as judgments, simply because they believed they were being seen differently.
This experiment highlights something profound about human psychology:
Our beliefs about ourselves can influence how we experience the world.
When we attribute our struggles to things beyond our control—be it our past, other people’s actions, or external circumstances—we hand over our power to those things.
We convince ourselves that we’re stuck, that there’s nothing we can do.
But in reality, in most cases, it’s our mindset that’s holding us back.
When we shift to a mindset of accountability, everything changes.
Accountability means taking ownership of what we can control—our thoughts, our actions, our responses.
It’s about recognizing that while we can’t control everything, we can control how we approach the situation.
Conclusion
Don’t get me wrong.
Life isn’t fair.
That’s an undeniable truth.
But instead of focusing on what’s unfair or what’s out of our control, we should focus on what is within our control.
It’s about asking,
“What can I do to make progress toward my goals and move forward?“
Stop looking out—look in.
Focus on what you can control.
Be accountable.
Take back your power.
Our mindset is the most powerful tool we have.
When we believe we’re limited, we act that way.
But when we believe in our capacity to overcome challenges, even when life is unfair, we reclaim the ability to shape our lives.
Remember, whether you think you can or you think you can’t—you’re right.
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