What’s stopping you?

Jumps and lids - what’s stopping you?

When I was in primary school, our head teacher had the bold idea of bringing a jar of fleas into assembly.  

She proudly told us that she had been keeping these fleas in her glass jar for several days, with the lid firmly on (but presumably with some sort of air hole available). 

The fleas had been trying (unsuccessfully) to escape. They spent their days jumping up and down, up and down, hitting the lid roof every time. 

Then, our headteacher suddenly and dramatically unscrewed the jar lid. There were mixed reactions to this, with some children outright screaming at what might happen next. 

But they needn’t have been afraid. The fleas stayed in the jar. They continued to jump up and down, up and down. But they had been conditioned to believe there was a roof preventing their escape. Experience had told them that they would always hit that lid.  

So even when the lid was gone and they could be free, the fleas carried on jumping to the height of the lid and no further.  

What holds you back?

What prevents you from freedom in life?  

What lids have been put on you in the past, that make you believe you can go no further?  

Are these lids still there?  

Or, like the fleas, could it be possible for you to jump out of the jar of untruths and into a freedom you deserve? 

About Me - Hi, I’m Cate - a trauma counsellor, supervisor and trainer in South Wales. I work with individuals, charities and organisations who want help and support to better understand trauma and the effects it has on our lives. If you’d like to chat about how we could work together, please email me - cate@waves-therapy.com