A True Story
I’m
sitting in a quiet room at the Millcroft Inn, a peaceful little place hidden
back among the pine trees about an hour out of Toronto. It’s just past noon,
late July, and I’m listening to the desperate sounds of a
life-or-death struggle going on a few
feet away.
There’s a
small fly burning out the last of its short life’s energies in a futile attempt
to fly through the glass of the windowpane. The whining wings tell the poignant
story of the fly’s strategy—try harder.
But it’s
not working.
The
frenzied effort offers no hope for survival. Ironically, the struggle is part
of the trap. It is impossible for the fly to try hard enough to succeed at breaking
through the glass. Nevertheless, this little insect has staked its life on
reaching its goal through raw effort and determination.
This fly is
doomed. It will die there on the windowsill.
Across the
room, ten steps away, the door is open. Ten seconds of flying time and this
small creature could reach the outside world it seeks. With only a fraction of
the effort now being wasted, it could be free of this self-imposed trap. The
breakthrough possibility is there. It would be so easy.
Why doesn’t
the fly try another approach, something dramatically different? How did it get
so locked in on the idea that this particular route, and determined effort,
offer the most promise for success? What logic is there in continuing, until
death, to seek a breakthrough with “more of the same”?
No doubt
this approach makes sense to the fly. Regrettably, it’s an idea that will kill.
“Trying
harder” isn’t necessarily the solution to achieving more. It may not offer any
real promise for getting what you want out of life. Sometimes, in fact, it’s a
big part of the problem.
If you
stake your hopes for a breakthrough on trying harder than ever, you may kill
your chances for success.
–Price
Pritchett
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