Don’t be a cold water thrower

A friend sent me the story below and it reminded me of when I decided to go into business for myself. When I told my friends about my ideas everyone ridiculed me and threw cold water on my ideas.

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Start with a cage containing five apes.

In the cage, hang a banana on a string and put stairs under it.
Before long, an ape will go to the stairs and start to climb
towards the banana. As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all
of the apes with cold water. After a while, another ape makes an
attempt with the same result – all the apes are sprayed with cold
water. This continues through several more attempts.

Pretty soon, when another ape tries to climb the stairs, the
other apes all try to prevent it. Now, turn off the cold water.
Remove one ape from the cage and replace it with a new one. The
new ape sees the banana and wants to climb the stairs. To his
horror, all of the other apes attack him. After another attempt
and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs, he
will be assaulted.

Next, remove another of the original five apes and replace it
with a new one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked.
The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with
enthusiasm. Again, replace a third original ape with a new one.
The new one makes it to the stairs and is attacked as well. Two
of the four apes that beat him have no idea why they were not
permitted to climb the stairs, or why they are participating in
the beating of the newest ape.

After replacing the fourth and fifth original apes, all the apes,
which have been sprayed with cold water, have been replaced.
Nevertheless, no ape ever again approaches the stairs. Why not?
Because that’s the way they’ve always done it and that’s the way
it’s always been around here.

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Those friends that ridiculed my ideas aren’t laughing at me now and I have all the “bananas” I want. My hope is that everyone will reach for those great ideas regardless of the behavior of the apes and/or cold water. And, “always”, do what you do with prayer as your guiding light.
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Psalm 127:1
Unless the Lord builds the
house,
They labor in vain who
build it.


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