A baby elephant is tied with thick ropes and shackles so it can't break it and run away, while a fully grown elephant stays tied at one place just with a thin rope that it can easily break with a quick snap if it wanted to, but never does. The reason is it's 'programming'. This adult elephant in it's early years has accepted that being tied with a rope means it can not escape in order to achieve freedom. And it accepts this as it's fate or destiny and completely gives up the idea of freedom.
We are no different. All our life we are programmed in a way by our social, economic and education system to just follow what they want us to do, and we forgot our true potential that was born with us and given to us as God's gift. Most of us never realize how abundantly powerful we are as human beings, so powerful that we can create a world of our choice simply by changing our thoughts. This 'programming' is also known as our 'paradigms'. If we can change our paradigms, we can completely change our life to be how we desire for it to be.
How many of us know how to change it though?