Walt Kelly (August 25, 1913 – October 18, 1973) was an American cartoonist who was best known for his syndicated comic strip Pogo. He began his career in 1936 as an illustrator with Walt Disney Studios and while there was a contributing artist on the animated classics Pinocchio and Fantasia. In 1941 at age 28, he left Disney and joined Post-Hall Syndicate where he created Pogo.
Perhaps his most enduring illustration is the one I have included in this week’s Inspiration. The caption “We have met then enemy and he is us” is certainly fodder for reflection on many different levels.
As a manager and trainer for nearly fifty years, I often associated this Pogo pearl of wisdom with those who hold themselves back from their true potential. In fact, I have found that it is rarely circumstance that causes us to fail in reaching any desired outcome. If we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that the most common impediment, barrier, or enemy, that foils our achievement is self-doubt. Throughout history, it has been said by countless sages, that we cannot achieve that which we don’t first believe in. Likewise, nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside of them was superior to circumstance.
Richard Bach wrote in his book Jonathan Livingston Seagull, “Don’t believe what your eyes are telling you. All they show is limitation. Look with your understanding, find out what you already know, and you’ll see the way to fly.” Alas, too often the roadblocks we encounter to success, happiness, or fortune are limitations we ourselves place in our path. True also is that these limitations come from self-generated thought patterns wherein we tell ourselves that we just can’t achieve what we want, desire and need. We have met the enemy and he is us!
There are many today who embrace the “victim” approach to failure. “I can’t achieve…” because of this or that is a convenient cop out. Self-doubt and self-limitation are the real impediments to individual achievement, not one’s circumstance or station. What we achieve or what we fail to achieve is a direct result of our own thinking and actions.
Former basketball coach, Dale Brown is a great motivator. He once wrote about an incident that happened while he was coaching at LSU. I believe it perfectly illustrates the point that the worst and most destructive limits we face exist only in our own mind.
“Several years ago, a circus was visiting the Maravich Assembly Center and in observing the enormous elephants, I was amazed that they were tied down by a small chain and stake.
How could this be? What would cause this mammoth being of tremendous strength to be tamed with so little? I asked the trainer how this was possible. He replied that while they were very young and weak, an elephant is tied by a heavy chain to an unmovable iron stake. Regardless of how he hard he tries, he can neither break the chain or move the stake. Then as he grows, no matter how large or strong the elephant becomes, he continues to believe he cannot move as long as he sees the stake in the ground beside him.”
While circus elephants can be trained to be held back by their own self-imposed limitations, we are not circus elephants. Remember, it’s not who we are that holds us back, it’s who we think we’re not. There are no real chains or stakes that limit our ability to venture to success or happiness, so cut those that may exist only in your mind and free yourself to wander unfettered down life’s path to your unlimited potential.
As comedian, W.C. Fields aptly put it. “It ain’t what they call you, it’s what you answer to.”
Most people are not really free. They are confined by the niche in the world that they carve out for themselves. They limit themselves to fewer possibilities by the narrowness of their vision. – V. S. Naipaul
Have an AWE-full weekend!
William “Bill” Bacque