A story is told of a big grizzly bear that was enclosed in a small cage of 5 square feet for years. A new mayor came to town and visiting the zoo saw this huge bear stuck in the small cage and touched by its plight quickly ordered that a larger enclosure be built for the bear so that it would have more space to walk around, explore and play. Work began on this initiative and after some months, a big ceremony was organised with the Mayor coming to give a speech before the release of the bear from the cage to the enclosure. After all the formalities of the day, the mayor cut the ribbon to the enclosure to large cheers and celebration with the door to the cage being opened to the new habitat. As everyone held their breath with quiet anticipation, excitement and anxiety, the bear took the steps to enter the new home, albeit hesitant and with some motivation from the zoo staff. It walked out into the enclosure and stood for a while, then walked 5 feet to the right, another 5 to the right again and another till it returned to its first spot. I am sure there was an anticlimax of sorts for those who could read the poor bear's mind.The sad story is that this bear represents a lot of people in out world today. They have been freed from many a situation in various ways but have remained stuck in that cage in their minds and can only take the 5 square foot walk in their lives without seeing the opportunities around them. Whether it be safety in comfort or being oblivious to what is possible, the story of a caged mind is a sad one and before we believe we are free to be anything we can be, we need to free our minds to the possibilities, that is when we can truly take advantage of them and rise to succeed in various spheres of life. As TD Jakes spoke on the CD album Woman Thou Art Loosed, the mind is the battleground. He says you can sleep tired and still wake up tired, not because you were working all night, but because you fought a large battle in the mind while you slept. If it cannot be done in your mind, it cannot be done anywhere else. Any battle you win in your mind is already won when you take action. If the shackles have been taken off your feet, let them come off your mind as well and you will achieve greatness. What ever is happening in your mind will be seen in what you do outside. All the best in freeing your mind.
Here are some great mind quotes.
Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.
Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds!
What we think determines what happens to us, so if we want to change our lives, we need to stretch our minds.
Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds.
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