On a far-away island, a group of fishermen dropped a wire basket with crab feet to the bottom of the ocean. One crab saw the food, jumped into the basket and started munching. More crabs came along and joined the feast. Even when all the food had been depleted, nearby crabs by the allure of the majority continued to jump into the basket and joined the other crabs.
As one of the crabs got the idea to leave the basket since there was no food left, the others tried to knock it off the basket’s wall. When it persisted, they broke its arm to prevent it from climbing any further. Again it persisted, and they ganged up on it and killed it. Shortly afterwards, all the crabs in the basket were brought up for human consumption.
What’s fascinating about this story is that the crap that first got the idea to leave shares a strong human quality you possess. At a critical point on your journey, you will want more- if you haven’t already. But when you attempt to leave the group, they might not break your arm but they will try to break your spirit. They might not kill you but they will try to kill your dreams. As John Boyega cleverly said in ‘The Woman King,’ “if you want to hold people in chains, one must convince them that they are meant to be in bondage.” (paraphrasing- maybe).
In our present day, “the one” often doing the convincing is precisely your loved ones who fear you will be destroyed when you take that risk no family member — dead or alive — has ever dared taken. Sometimes it’s your closest friends who once saw you in your brokenness and fail to entertain your capability to ever operate at an unfathomable level. Indeed, you may have now attained the wisdom to navigate the complexities of taking that leap of faith. But you are also bound to miss the mark if you lack basic understanding. Seeking understanding is the first of many steps required to break free from any undeserved guilt and shame. It dissuades the feeling to complain and elevates the healing to proclaim your throne. It’s time to break free from the shackles holding you still- you are more than enough.