Yummy!

But what the poor unsupecting monkeys didn’t realize was that when they would go up to the top of the stairs to get the bananas, they would be shot with a stream of water.  Ouch!  That made them run right back down the stairs without any bananas in hand.  Bummer!

The monkeys tried this one at a time and each time they were blasted with water.  But at the same time, the researchers took a monkey out of the cage and replaced it with a new one.  Of course the new monkey would see those yummy bananas at the top of the stairs and think, ‘Hey I’m going to get one!’  But the other monkeys would immediate communicate to it that it shouldn’t go.  And without ever having seen or experienced the water itself, the monkey would take the good word of the other monkeys and not go up the stairs.

Now think for a moment of your own favorite food.  Mine is pasta.  Imagine it sitting waiting for you at the top of a staircase.  You’d want to go for it right?  Well so did the monkeys.

But one by one the researchers took an old monkey out of the cage and replaced it with a new one, until eventually they had an entire group of new monkeys.

Now here’s the funny thing.  This entire group of new monkeys had never actually seen or experienced that shot of water themselves and yet none of them dared to go up the stairs towards the bananas!  It was almost as if the imprint of that story was left in the air.

Until one day, they added a brand new monkey (drum roll please) and this monkey was not like other monkeys.  No, this monkey was a Rogue Monkey and he dared to do things differently.

So when he confidently started to head up the ramp towards those yummy bananas and the other monkeys shrieked in horror, ”Nooo don’t go”, he went anyway.  He didn’t take their good advice.

And guess what?  The researchers had turned off the water.  Mr Rogue was able to get a nice banana feast and he happily shared it with the other monkeys who were completely astounded! 

Sometimes you have to risk, even when everyone around you is telling you that it won’t work.  You have to go anyway because you may be meant to go into uncharted territory or break new ground.  Think of Christopher Columbus, Walt Disney and Charles Branson.  They did crazy things and took risks.  But it worked.

And you’re not just doing it for yourself.  You are opening up the field for all of the other monkeys.  Because after this monkey had his feast, all the others ate their full too.  And that wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t taken the risk.

Today, be a Rogue Monkey and risk going for those bananas at the top of the stairs.  It will be worth the risk.