how do you
eat an elephant
I usually ask this question when listening intently to a friend, colleague, family member or client, who appears to be overwhelmed by a never ending “to do list.” The first reaction I usually get is that of silence, then flabbergast, the next is an echoing of my inquiry, “How do you eat an elephant?” Yes how would you eat an elephant? when I proposed this question to my partner, Gabriel, he stated, “with jalapeño and totillas.” I found the response amusing, a colleague of mine responded, “with barbecue sauce.” and a client of mine stated, “My strategy of action, would be to start at the stomach, it would be much soften and easier to eat.”
—and by that I mean take full responsibility for our lives
The response I assumed I would get was the obvious “one bite at a time.” but none of the people I asked ever gave me that response. Now you might be probably wondering why I bring this question up. There are numerous situations in our lives when most of us feel overwhelmed, be it in our jobs, relationships and even just simple daily living. Think of these overwhelming situations as life giving you an elephant. Now our first reaction when overwhelmed may be attempting to swallow the whole elephant in one sitting, or pretend the elephant does not exist and like an ostrich bury our head in the sand. None of the aforementioned choices would contribute to personal growth. An alternative choice would be, for us is to respond, and by that I mean take full responsibility for our lives, sit down with this elephant, evaluate how we are going to eat it and do so “one bite at a time.” regardless of how long it would take. All this coming from a vegan.
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