The Parable of the Bank Robber
“There once was a skilled bank robber who attempted to rob the largest and most secure safe in the city. Armed with the most advanced tools and techniques, he snuck into the bank and attempted to break into the vault. However, his confidence began to wane as hours went by and he was still unable to open it. In his despair, he accidentally leans against the handle, and to his surprise, the safe door opened. In amazement, he began to realize that the safe was never locked; he just had to turn the handle.”
The Source of Success
One of the misperceptions people have is that success comes because of external things in life. Some say success is about going to an Ivy league school or making a lot of money, but this is a misconception. All these things can help you become successful, but they are not the source of success.
For example, if you don’t listen to your mentor, learn from your education, or know how to manage your money, then education and a job won’t help you. The bank robber thought that his tools and techniques were the only things that could open the vault, but they were not the reason for his success.
The most important source of success is getting out of your own mind. Your mind and your perception of life create barriers, and the only way to get over them and to be more successful is to open your mind up to see life differently.
How to Open Your Mind
In the case of the bank robber, he thought that no one would leave a safe door open. That idea was wrong, and it caused him a lot of stress, consternation, and more work. I learned this principle when I was in my early 20s.
One of my friends asked me to go to an exercise class with her. So, I went. The first thing I noticed was only women were in the class. I had never been to that type of exercise class before, and of course, my friend went to the front row.
I was surrounded by these women, a little uneasy, but I thought the class looked easy. They were lifting light weights and making weird motions and movements. I thought it was a little unusual, but I continued participating. Halfway through the class, I stared to worry that I wasn’t going to make it through the end. Little did I know, even though they were lifting light weights, it was actually a very hard. They were exercising muscles that I had never exercised before.
Needless to say, after the class I had a lot more respect for these women and for those type of classes. And the second thing it taught me was that I wasn’t working certain muscles in my body that I should be. So, I adjusted my exercise routine so that my body could be stronger and more well-rounded. I discovered that I got hurt less, I had fewer injuries, and my overall health and well-being improved. This is much like everything in life.
Weekly Challenge
If you open your mind you, are going to see more possibilities, more opportunities, different ways of doing things that will help you become more successful in life.
My challenge to you this week, is get out of your own mind and turn the handle. Do something differently. It could be as simple as trying a new food that you’ve never tasted before. It doesn’t have to take a lot of time. It could be something like brushing your teeth with the opposite hand than you usually do it with. Anything that will help you to be able to see life differently. It could be talking with someone and really listening to their point of view.
Good luck this week! I promise you, as you open your mind, you will be able to see more possibilities and that you’ll have more opportunities come in your life.
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In Search of Truth is an independent publication by Dr. Jacob Kashiwagi. All proceeds are donated to the Leadership Society of Arizona 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
The views expressed in the book are based on independent research and personal experience. This publication does not necessarily represent the views of LSA.