Life and business lessons from four monkeys in a room

There were four monkeys placed in a room that had a tall pole in the center. Suspended from the top of that pole was a bunch of bananas. One of the hungry monkeys started climbing the pole to get something to eat, but just as it reached out to grab a banana, it was doused with a torrent of cold water. Squealing, it scampered down the pole and abandoned its attempt to feed itself. Each monkey made a similar attempt, and each one was drenched with cold water. After making several attempts, they finally gave up.

Later, one of the monkeys was removed from the room and replaced with a new monkey. As the newcomer began to climb the pole, the other three grabbed it and pulled it down to the ground. After trying to climb the pole several times and being dragged down by the others, he finally gave up and never attempted to climb the pole again.

One by one the original monkeys were replaced with new ones and each time a new monkey was brought in, it would be dragged down by others before it could reach the bananas. In time, only monkeys that had never received a cold shower were in the room, but none of them would climb the pole. They prevented one another from climbing, but none of them knew why.

This is where I am coming: perhaps people with whom you are sharing your walk have been dragging you down over the years as an effect of them being once drenched with the cold water of bitter experience in the past. One truth is; they have been dragging you down, not because they are evil, but they have been dragging you down because of their own varied unpleasant experiences in the past. Many years ago, I wanted to go study in the Republic of South Africa. As an effect of this desire, I discussed it with some people. And because they were locked up in the house of their past experience, they attempted to drag me down. I remember meeting with a woman on the inside of a bank in Ghana—who attempted to drag me down using the yardstick of her son’s experience in Johannesburg. Did they know they were attempting to drag me down the pole of my future? No. They only thought they were trying to protect me from pain and danger. Someone even did say to me not to go there, because the crime rate in Johannesburg was very high at the time. I went against all they told me and the rest they say is history.

You will never be able to realize your dreams in life if you allow those who have been ‘drenched with cold water’ of disappointment and pain drag you down. And that someone failed in an area does not mean that you are going to fail in same area. Many people are lacking ‘bananas’ today, not because they are not capable of getting them, but they are lacking ‘bananas’ because they have been listening to those who were once drenched with the cold water of disappointment. My assignment today is to motivate you to move against those who have been dragging you down. Are you going to be disappointed while trying to realize a dream? Yes. But that shouldn’t stop you from pursuing it.

To reach your goal in life, I advise that you replace one by one those you are currently hanging out with—with those who have not become enslaved to their past. You need to start moving with those who will always tell you that irrespective of being drenched with “cold water”—that you can still make it to the “pole”—your goal in life.

Have I ever been drenched with the cold water of discouragement and disappointment before? Yes, but I will never allow my past experience to make me discourage anyone from reaching his or her goal in life. Many years ago, a lady brought her manuscript to me. When I looked at it, I knew she got the seed in her, but the manuscript was not that good. As a mentor, I corrected her, but I did not fail to encourage her to keep writing. Today, she is a celebrated writer.

If I wanted to go by my own experience in the field of writing, I would have stopped her from writing. After producing my first manuscript, I was drenched with the cold water of discouragement, but I refused to stop. I kept writing and I am still writing. And each time I write, the better I become. My doggedness over the years has helped a lot of people in life, business, career and leadership.

Remove from your association those who would want to ignorantly prevent you from experiencing the pain that comes with success and greatness. Peter tried to prevent Jesus from reaching his goal. He ignored him. As far as Peter was concerned, Jesus must not go through the cross, but unknown to him, the roadmap to glory is always laced with pain, betrayal, and discouragement. Replace them with those who will deliberately push you into your destiny, because there can never be a true progress without a thorough process.

Buddy, that something goes wrong while reaching for a great future does not mean that you should say that you would never make another attempt again. Remember, failure is the price we pay to achieve success. Have I failed before in the pursuit of what I am doing? Yes. I am an expert at what I do today because I am standing on the foundation of failure. Successful people are those who do not stop while failing. Margaret Thatcher said and I quote: “you may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.”

Lastly, that you fail while pursuing either a dream or an idea does not mean you should fold it up. Do not fold that business idea up yet. Keep fighting till you win. In a nation as Nigeria, you’d need to develop a fighting spirit, because there are too many things around you that would daily talk you into giving up. Rise from your defeat today and reach for the pole of your dream. The ‘bananas’ are yours! The cold water of discouragement should not be allowed to stop you.

See you where successful leaders are found!

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