This is the Monday Mindset Newsletter that was sent on Monday 12/12/2022…
Morning Team,
Have you ever heard the fable of the Scorpion and the Frog?
For those of you who have not, it goes like this…
A Scorpion and a Frog were on the edge of a river. Both needed to cross. As the Frog calculated the distance from one stone to the next so that it could hop onto the other side, the Scorpion asks the Frog if it could catch a lift.
The Frog turned to the Scorpion and said, “You are my enemy. You could sting me.”
To which the Scorpion replied, “If I stung you, you would sink, and we would both drown.”
Reluctantly, the Frog allowed the Scorpion to climb on, and the Frog began jumping from one rock to the next.
As the Frog made its final jump to the other side of the river, it felt a jolt of pain in its neck from the stinger of the Scorpion.
After landing safely on the other side of the river, the Scorpion climbs off the Frog’s back, and the Frog asked, “Why did you sting me? I helped you get what you wanted.”
The Scorpion turned to the Frog and said, “Because I’m a Scorpion. That is what we do.”
As the Frog slipped into death, the Scorpion went on his way.
I often think of this Fable to remind myself of two things…
Number 1: We all have a Scorpion inside us. That voice within us that does its very best to get us to do things we know we shouldn’t do. To give up on that goal we set.. To eat that extra helping of dessert.. To not take that leap of faith into the next chapter.. To take the easy path.. To tell you you’re not good enough.. To put off the work on the project.
The Scorpion within us can be very convincing. It is amazing how great of a salesperson we can be to ourselves. We can talk ourselves into doing or not doing anything! Be very careful not to allow the Scorpion to do your negotiations. The outcome will never be favorable to you.
Number 2: We all have Scorpions around us. Be aware of those people around you that present themself as a friend and supporter, but actually are not. Scorpions are selfish.. Self-serving, and will use you to get what they want. And when you’re no good to them anymore, they will do what Scorpions do. Strike you and leave you for dead.
Scorpions around you can sometimes be hard to spot. But a tall tale sign that someone is more of a Scorpion than an advocate is to step back and really evaluate the relationship. If overall, the other person is riding on your back while you do all the work crossing the river, that could be a sign. Anytime a relationship isn’t well rounded and can be fit within a very narrow segment, pay attention to that. Because there is a real chance that as soon as you stop giving the person what they want, the jolting pain is felt in the back of your neck.
So the moral of this Monday Mindset message is to recognize the Scorpions in your life. Both from within and around you. Listen to your intuition, and the moment you recognize the Scorpion, get out of its striking distance. You will live longer and go further.
Go forth and conquer,
Matt