5 Things to Give Up on in College Pt 1- Spider Monkey Syndrome

None of us would like to admit that there have been some things that we’ve given up on. Some important things that we initially had excitement surrounding, some things that we told others was the world to us, and unfortunately after time excitement became misery and our worlds were turned upside down.

Sometimes we throw our hands in the air and say “I give up” but most of the time we slowly stop taking action as to avoid the pain of being labeled a “quitter” in our minds.

What if there were some things that it was ok to give up on?

Some areas that if we let go would benefit our lives in a tremendous way.

As young adults, we typically hold on to things that have proven to be deterrents to success.

Speaking for myself, there was once a time where I held on to doing things “my way” only to learn that “my way” had produced the results that I was frustrated with. Unknowingly I held on to poison, mistaking it for delight. It wasn’t until I gave it up, that I began to see the results that I wanted to see.

It seems that as young adults we are more prone to certain types of behavior. Behaviors that if not dealt with early can be the destruction of our dreams and everything that we want.

What are some things that you need to give up? What have you held on to in hopes that the world would change instead of making the changes yourself?

The story of how to catch a Spider Monkey is a great example of this.

Spider Monkeys are tall and elusive monkeys found in Africa and other parts of the world. They are fast.

So fast that a group of trained gunmen had a hard time catching them. They tried and tried with no luck. After so much time, they decided to consult with the native people. They even offered them $1 Million dollars to catch one.

The natives agreed.

Upon agreement, the natives set out to catch a Spider Monkey. They went to the forest tied a rope around a small jar and tied the other side of the rope to a tree. Last but not least, they placed a small nut inside the jar and left. Needless to say, the gunmen were confused but went along anyway.

The next day they returned and to the gunmen surprise, it was a spider monkey!

What I didn’t mention is that the Spider Monkey’s love nuts! One of the Spider Monkeys decided to retrieve the nut and got his hand caught in the trap in the process. With his fist clinched, the Spider Monkey could not remove his hand.

So there it was! Shaking his hand, jumping and doing whatever it could to get his hand out.

The gunmen were amazed! They decided to conduct an experiment. They placed another nut next to the Spider Monkey, just out of reach to see it’s reaction. To their surprise, the spider monkey wouldn’t let go.

Next they decided to place more nuts next to the spider monkey. Still no luck. Next they placed 1000 nuts, 100 bananas, another bottle and all the pleasures that any spider monkey could dream of next to him and still no luck.

Needless to say, the spider monkey isn’t the smartest of the monkey family. Some might have called this monkey stupid. He obviously needed to give up some things. His condition is what I call Spider Monkey Syndrome.

But what about us? Aren’t there some things that we know we should let go of? Some things that we know that if we don’t give up will mean the destruction of our dreams.

Life places unimaginable possibilities besides us. The promise of a future filled with our dream health, dream career, dream relationships, dream finances and more but yet we hold on to the one thing that holds us back. We know that if we change and give it up, our lives would change dramatically.

In the next post, I’ll share some common things that we typically need to give up as young adults. Until then, I challenge you to examine what things you need to give up in your life. Once you’ve discovered these things, narrow your list to one thing that you know is holding you back the most. Then, once and for all decide and commit to giving this thing up every day!

We can do this together! Let’s get better day by day. Talk to you soon!