Despite media accounts to the contrary, we live at the best time, in the best place, in the middle of the best economy that the world has ever known. There will be more millionaires created this year than in any single year in recorded history. Given all of this prosperity, success, and opportunity, why do so many people fail to reach their goals? They, quite simply, fall victim to what I call the Spider Monkey Syndrome.

Spider monkeys are very small, approximately 4-6 inches tall, and look very much like humans. They live in the tallest trees in the most dense jungle in the Amazon basin. For years, people tried to capture spider monkeys but were unsuccessful, until one of the natives demonstrated the proper method.

To capture a spider monkey, you simply put one peanut inside of a small glass bottle, which you leave at the base of a tree. While you are gone, the spider monkey will climb down the tree, put his hand inside the bottle, and grab the peanut, making his fist too large to get out of the bottle. You have now captured a spider monkey. You can return and put a whole bag of peanuts right next to the spider monkey, and he will not let go of the one peanut he's holding onto that he can't eat and really didn't want in the first place. You can take away his freedom, you can even take his life, but he will not let go of the one peanut.

After exhaustive research on the subject of spider monkeys, I have come to the inescapable conclusion that spider monkeys are not very smart. But before we think too poorly of spider monkeys, we must ask ourselves: What is it in our lives we're holding onto that we really don't want or need that is keeping us from total success and our ultimate goal?

Failure and success cannot occupy the same space. You must let go of one to begin enjoying the other. Your destiny awaits.

Today is the day!

You may contact Jim Stovall at
5840 South Memorial Drive, Suite 312, Tulsa, OK 74145