Unlock Your Mind - A story from Houdini’s Life
24 July 2008
20 Comments
Photo Courtesy Wikipedia
I’m sure you’ve all heard of the great illusionist of yesteryear - Harry Houdini. Houdini was a master magician as well as a fabulous locksmith. Houdini was probably the most famous escape artist in the world. I read an interesting incident from his life this week. I’m not sure if the story I’m about to share with you is part of his legend or part of his history, but it surely is fascinating.
Houdini was very confident in his talents. He claimed that he could escape from any Jail cell in the World in less than an hour, provided he could go into the cell dressed in street clothes. And every time he was given this challenge, he accepted and did just as he promised. He was left alone in a locked cell and in a few short minutes he would miraculously escape.
But one time things didn’t go as Houdini planned…
A small town in the British Isles built a new jail cell and they were proud of it. “Come give us a try,” they said to Houdini, and he agreed.
He walked into the prison cell bristling with confidence. After all, he had done this hundreds of times before. Houdini hid inside his belt a special lock pick he had designed. Once the jail cell was closed, Houdini took off his coat, and set to work with his lock pick. But he discovered that something was unusual about this particular lock.
For 30 minutes he worked and got nowhere. And his confident expression disappeared.
An hour passed, and still he had not been able to open the door. By now he was bathed in sweat and panting in exasperation, but he still could not pick the lock. He tried all the tricks of his trade but nothing worked.
After two hours and totally exhausted, Houdini literally collapsed against the door. The door swung open and he discovered it it had not been locked in the first place! It was locked only to him in his mind.
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Hi Avani - That is really interesting. I wonder what made the challenge more difficult for Houdini? Was it just because his own confidence had diminished because the door was more difficult to open than others he’d opened easily?
Hahahaha….this is such an interesting story! It just shows how our mind can be self limiting. It creates its own locks!
Love it. Submitted for Digg and SU.
Thanks!
Evelyn
A great story, and really illustrative of what we do to ourselves. I interpret this more as a state of closed mind — not being able to “think outside the box” (pan intended) — rather than that of over-confidence. Or perhaps his over-confidence caused it? I’d think that he has reasons to believe in his ability.
ari
What an interesting story! I guess it’s saying to drop assumptions and prejudgments and accept each moment as being new and unique, as well as the importance of awareness.
Ha! That’s so cool. Sometimes it’s worth asking what the easiest possible solution would be, and giving it a try. Like Marelisa noted, so many of our actions are colored by assumptions–too many.
Sara at On Simplicitys last blog post..Tim Gunn: A Perfect Model for the Fabulously Simple
I suppose, if we make certain assumptions from the outset - our mind is closed and imprisoned.
It can be wise not to jump to conclusions when seeking solutions.
Hahaha…good one avani….
Human mind’s Beliefs is limitless…
Nivas’s last blog post..Hey! In Life do you ‘………….’ or ‘………….’ pain ?
Cool story, Avani! My husband is a comedy entertainer, and his act includes magic. I’ll have to ask him if he’s heard this story before.
The story is funny, I love it:) The implications are important. For him the door was locked because he did not rely on any other possibility. These are the tricks our mind likes to play with us. There is always another possibility, another aspect of reality. We have just to find it.
Elio
Elio Galluzzi’s last blog post..Hope, hopefully… I hope
It’s amazing, our self-imposed limitations. I’m glad he managed to get out this way and teach us all a valuable lesson. Great story.
Laurie | Express Yourself to Success’s last blog post..The Unsung Social Skill
Hi Avani,
Ahhhh, the power of our minds. Great story.
Barbara Swafford’s last blog post..Free ‘n Easy Friday Finds - Blog Protection
Avani -
This is very inspirational. It’s teaching us a lesson that even great people can be the victim of their own limiting thoughts. The great magician was not an exception in this story.
Shilpan
Avani, again great post, keep it up.
paresh’s last blog post..Soniya got Bronze Medal in World school chess competition.
Such a cool story Avani, thanks for sharing. Although I’m surprised he hadn’t noticed it was open as he must have been pushing to test if he had unlocked it?
Anyways, thanks again!
Cheers,
Glen
Glen Allsopp’s last blog post..Beginner’s Guide to Meditation
really nice n helps toknw hw jus wid a mental blockage towards sumthin people fail to accomplish the task!! nice one!! really lookin forward to more n more articles!! til thn al da best!!
This is a good story. I hadn’t heard it before. Earl Nightingale used to tell a similar one about a guy who got locked in a freezer railroad car and froze to death. Yet in the morning when they discovered his body they found that the refrigeration wasn’t set to freeze and he could have easily survived if his mind hadn’t believed he was freezing.
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