My mate Alan recommended a fantastic book to me last week as he often does. He sent me the summary on whatsapp and I liked the sound of it so downloaded the Kindle version to my Ipad.

The book is called "I am Pilgrim" - I won't go into detail right now - Google it and see if it's your kind of thing -  but one little part a few chapters in got me thinking.

The main character during his travels gets talking to a Buddhist monk who tells him a story  - (he's realised that the character is carrying some baggage from his earlier life you see) 

The monk tells our guy  how tribal people catch monkeys. They make a hole in a sealed clay pot just big enough for a monkey to get it's hand through. The tie the pot to a tree and put some nuts and berries (the monkey's favourite snacks) inside. Then they go home.

A monkey comes along and reaches in to grab the treats but with his fist clenched around them he can't get it out again. The tribesman return and hit him over the head. 

The lesson here, says the monk, is that to be free all we have to do is let go.  

It's the same with being entrepreneurial - deciding to actually go for our dreams rather than just letting them slip because it's too difficult, risky - or whatever else our "Monkey brain" is telling us that's holding us back. 

We do still have that monkey brain after all but it doesn't really serve us anymore. 

We don't have any predators (apart from ourselves) so we don't need that fight or flight survival instinct to dominate so many of our choices. 

In our modern world we've replaced the sabre tooth tiger with a dread fear of non-conformity, of risk - of what other people might think of us doing something different from the herd.

But it's actually the people who ignore the monkey brain - let go of the short term treats and free themselves to reach for the skies - that make our world a better place. 

Just call me Professor Dave the Digital philosopher lol ! : ) 

Have a great day  

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