You can’t tame anything by chasing it. When you really want something, sometimes you have to sit still and let it come to you.
THE HISTORY
I have always loved Gene Wilder. His piercing blue eyes always seemed so kind and inviting.
I don’t remember when I first fell in love with him; like most kids my age, it could have been when he played the eccentric chocolatier in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, or it could have been when he played The Waco Kid. in the incredibly funny Blazing Saddles, but I’m sure my heart was sealed when he played Zorro in The Little Prince.
Although Antoine de Saint Exupéry’s novel was well known to most, for many years my only exposure to this inspiring story was through this 1974 film, which was nominated for two Academy Awards and won a Golden Globe.
The plot consists of a pilot who is stranded in the Sahara desert and meets an “extraterrestrial prince (albeit completely human in appearance). In their conversations, the author reveals his own views on the follies of humanity and the simple truths that people seem to forget as they age.” (Wikipedia)
The prince tells the pilot of many of his adventures, including his visit to earth and the many creatures he has met here.
One of them was a fox. Enter Gene Wilder.
Gene Wilder’s Fox is wary but affectionate (those eyes!), as he teaches the little prince how he can tame him and become friends. Amazingly, this very exchange can teach us some of the exact principles for getting what we want in life.
“Every day you would come and sit where you are now.
“You always came at the same time, say, at four in the afternoon.
“I might start getting excited about, oh, around 3 o’clock.
“If you came any other time, I wouldn’t have a chance to turn me on.”
“But what would I do at 4 o’clock?” ask the prince.
“Nothing,” Zorro replies.
“Not a thing?”
“Of course not, if you did something, I would be scared and not come out.”
THE LESSON
You really can have whatever you want. But to achieve this, there are some principles that you must apply when learning how to tame a fox.
First, you must be consistent. The Prince was to come every day at the same time. He couldn’t come “at any time”. He must be consistent. Consistent action shows the Universe that you are serious about your desire.
Second, you must be still and allow it to come to you. If you’ve ever chased after something (or someone, for that matter!), you know that doing so only makes you run in the other direction. You work harder and get less results when you pursue something. Ah, but if you are still… if you are still and behave in a way that makes you attractive, people and things will naturally be drawn to you.
What if things don’t turn out the way you expected or just disappear when you see them around the corner? Then you can be sure to hear the Fox telling you, just as he told the Little Prince:
“You moved!”
TO TAKE ACTION
Are you frustrated with the results you are getting in some area of your life? To take action!
Today’s Action Step: Set a timer for five minutes. Sit comfortably and close your eyes. Visualize what it is you want and, in your mind, allow it to come to you. You may even want to stretch out your arms and visualize him running towards you for a hug.
As you do this, notice how good it makes you feel, much better, in fact, than if you were to run after it. Of course, you may want to do this visualization for more than five minutes. If you are like me, you will feel so good that it will be difficult for you to want to do anything else.
