Slowly...Slowly...Catch the Monkey

For three years, I lived in the West African nation of Ghana. I had a wonderful time there and still have many good memories. I have traveled to many nations, but I have never met people so friendly and so kind as Ghanaians.

West Africans have many sayings. One of the most useful is "Slowly...slowly...catch the monkey". If you have ever met a monkey, you know that he is very intelligent and very fast! They can be excellent pets, but you have to catch them first. If you run up to a monkey and try to grab him, he will be gone before you are half-way there. But if you are dedicated and you slowly take one step at a time, you will eventually be standing beside him. Then you can catch him!

When I lived in Ghana, my job was to help promote economic development. I was always in a hurry. Ghana needed help and I wanted results as quickly as possible. But in Ghana, change comes slowly. Often my Ghanain friends would smile and say to me, "Bob, slowly...slowly...catch the monkey". It took me many months to learn that lesson, but I finally learned it.

In today's world, life seems to be changing rapidly. You may feel that you are getting further behind every year. Too many monkeys moving too quickly to catch any of them.

You need to choose your "monkey" carefully. Choose one that is really important to you. Maybe that means moving to a new location or looking for a new job or beginning a new career. You have to choose your own monkey. Once you have done that, dedicate yourself to catching that monkey. Don't run. Take one step at a time. Eventually, you will catch him. When you have caught your "monkey", he will be your friend and help you change your life. But if you chase him too quickly, you'll never catch him and he'll never be able to help you.

If you choose your goal carefully, dedicate yourself to reaching it, and move one step at a time, you will eventually learn that you will reach your goal faster by moving slowly. Don't try to understand that, just do it and see for yourself.