Are you experiencing boiled frog syndrome?

If you’re not sure what boiled frog syndrome is then here’s a brief explanation to help you understand.

The boiling frog is a fable describing a frog being slowly boiled alive. The premise is that if a frog is put suddenly into boiling water, it will jump out, but if the frog is put in tepid water which is then brought to a boil slowly, it will not perceive the danger and will be cooked to death.

Now you might be thinking that you’re not being cooked to death, so there’s no perceived danger for you. While factually you are correct, the question the boiled frog fable brings to light is, what have you now come to accept or normalize in your life that you once wouldn’t have?

If you’re like most people then you’ll find yourself caught up in the day to day activities of life and not really paying attention to all the small changes taking place in and around you. These changes are the tepid water slowly being brought to a boil. Changes in your career, your health, and your relationships that you might one day come to realize are not what you wanted, but bit by bit you began to accept them and now the waters boiling.

So how do you avoid becoming the boiled frog?

The answer is simple, but not easy. Evaluate the major aspects of your life on a regular basis and implement a continuous action plan to keep you out of boiling water.

Rumor has it that the boiled frog syndrome is a myth and this might be true, but even if it is, it illustrates a good point. If you find yourself in a position where you’ve begun to accept things about yourself and your life that you once wouldn’t have, then now might be a good time to start making changes, otherwise, like the mythical frog, you too might get cooked.