Crabs in a bucket

by Paulo Coelho on October 19, 2011


BY Sarah Robinson
Early evening was one of my favorite times to walk the beach with my mom and my older brothers. We were all clean and fed and slightly sun weary but still desperate to be outside. So, we would grab flashlights, dip nets and a bucket and search the ocean’s edge for crabs.
More often than not, as a crab would begin to inch its way higher to the edge of the bucket, the other crabs would latch on to him and pull him back down.
I watched this scenario play out again and again, year after year.
Fast forward to this morning. As I was drinking my coffee and perusing my twitter stream, and up pops @paul0coelho (He wrote The Alchemist, one of my all time favorite books): “Only mediocrity is safe. Get ready to be attacked, and be the best.”
I did a quick google search and discovered that “Crab Mentality” is actually an official phrase that roughly means “if I can’t have it, neither can you.”
And it is talked about. A lot.
So now I’m thinking about the Escaping Mediocrity journey with this lens.
There will always be people who will subtly or not so subtly try to keep us from escaping. Why?
Because our escape threatens their mediocre existence.
Pulling us down, sabotaging our efforts, picking apart our brilliant ideas – all of that keeps them feeling safe. And living undisturbed mediocre lives.
So what if we added a new piece to the crab mentality picture?
Imagine a crab, or a group of crabs on the other side of the bucket building a ladder to aid your escape. They managed to crawl out of the bucket in spite of all the energetic attempts to pull them backwards.
Because they’ve tasted freedom and they know your struggle, they are putting energy into aiding and abetting your escape.
I believe that for those of us determined to get out of the bucket, such a group exists. It may take some time to find them, but they are there, ready throw a safety rope over the edge and pull us out.
Start listening for them. Start looking for them. They are there. Reach just a little further and they’ll meet you at the edge of the bucket.

Well friends, even I’ve seen these kinda crabs around me, and I feel really sorry for them n pity on ‘em as they are sadly mistaken about life.. I’ve been a victim of these kinda crabs n I often try to wake ‘em up so that they don’t continue living like crabs and at the same time they don’t harm or hurt others… But, I’ve also seen those bright crabs tryin to help you out to get out of the bucket and I am grateful to have got those crabs in my life.. :) So, always LiveStrong! and always keep looking for the bright crabs out there, coz they do exist.. ;)

Source: http://paulocoelhoblog.com/2011/10/19/crabs-in-a-bucket/comment-page-1/#comment-774763
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