Something Our Parents Would Say Not My Monkey Not My Circus

0:00Hey, there's a website I'd like to share with you. And that's arrow.net, a-r-r-o-e.net. It's not just a podcast. It's 20 different podcasts that give you the power of choice. In fact, speaking of the choice, that's one of the top podcasting shows with all of its episodes. Sure, we have a daily prayer. Sure, we talk about everyday life and the challenges at work. And we're trying to figure out ways to get up and beyond where we presently stand with challenge. Sure, we have a choice to be made only on arrow.net, a-r-r-o-e.net. Enjoy your exploration. It doesn't matter where you're going. Someone is always going to be sharing an old saying of phrase or an idiom. You know, those things that family and friends usually come up with and they come from out of nowhere, it's like, how does this even make sense? I mean, they had to start somewhere, right? Who, what, where, why, when, and how? Some of those old sayings are not only ancient, but they still carry a powerful punch today. I live by one of those old sayings.

1:01My mantra, winning is a choice. The goal of these episodes is to help preserve not only a language, but lessons in life. My name is arrow. Not my monkey, not my circus. Wow, who would have ever thought the roots of this stretch all the way back to old English? Ancient, yet it's got a modern day impact. Not my monkey, not my circus. It is a direct translation of a Polish proverb, dating all the way back to the 19th century Poland, where traveling circuses were very common, chaotic and often poorly managed. If monkeys escaped, made horrible noises or caused trouble, the instant response was not my monkey, not my circus, ah, basically meaning not my responsibility. The actual path of the phrase move from European immigrants to workplace culture to early day internet forums. These days, it's been amplified by memes and corporate humor.

2:03Not my monkey, not my circus. It gives people permission to opt out, instead of explaining why you aren't participating, the monkey comment shuts the door. It shifts responsibility back to those who are leading. Experts say it protects mental health and prevents codependency. It also avoids accountability, not my problem. I'm gone. Not my monkey, not my circus. At its best is wisdom at its worst. It is an emotional firewall. Not my monkey, not my circus. And just yesterday right there in the center of all those people and with everything going on in the world, I saw the greatest t-shirt. It literally said it is my monkey. It is my circus, that a girl. I'm Arrow and that's something our parents would say.