As a man was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped, _________ by the fact that these large creatures were being held by only a small rope_________ to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was_________ that the elephants could, at anytime _________ their ropes. For some reason, they did not, _________.

He saw a trainer nearby, and asked why these animals just stood there and made no_________ to get away. “Well,” the trainer said, “when they are very young and much smaller, we use the same_________ rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to_________ them. As they grow up, they are_________ to believing they cannot break away. They believe the rope and still hold them, so they never try to break free.

The man was__________. These animals could at any time break free from their__________ but because they believe they couldn't, they were__________ right where they are.

Like the elephants, how many of us__________ hanging onto a(n) __________ that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before?

Failure is part of learning; we should never give up the__________ in life.

I used to travel to make myself relaxed. Two years ago, I was rather busy with my business and under a lot of _____, so I went to Las Vegas for a holiday. I just wanted to get away and _____ for a while.

When I was on holiday, a(n) _____ suddenly came to me. I had long wished to pay a visit to the Greek island of Santorini. Therefore, the idea of a two-week European _____ alone was born.

I’d driven _____ across the US before, but traveling to other countries whose languages aren’t the same as mine frightened me. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to _____ with anyone.

But I soon _____ that if I wanted to follow my dreams, I had to _____ out of my comfort area. If I let _____ take control of me, I’d get nowhere.

As I was in search of more places to visit on my trip, I found Mykonos, Greece, which I ______ just as much as I liked Santorini. When I arrived in Europe, it was like I was in a dream.

What I appreciated best was the bus ride to Venice. As I rode the bus and enjoyed every new thing I saw, I was completely ______ from the pressure of my work. How ______ it was to see people riding their bikes to the ______they’d like to go to!

Some people might say, “It’s not a big ______; it’s just Venice. Thousands of people go there every day.” But it was more than that to me. It was about having a ______ and when it was time for it to come true, don’t let it go.

I remember the first time I saw a skateboarder roll past me when I was 14 in the early 90s. The skater moved in such a _______ and cool way. He _______ through the crowds in the same way that water finds its natural _______. I can still _______ with complete clarity the sound of the trail of the skateboard snapping against the road as the skateboarder jumped up with the board into the air. It was the _______ thing I’d ever seen. Why walk to school when you could skate? After serious saving and a _______ for early birthday funds, I _______ myself in the skate shop and got my first skateboard!

What I didn’t know then was that this first _______ was the beginning of a voyage that would never _______. Information and experiences were exchanged and ________ with friends. And only through dedication and perseverance did my ability and confidence ________.

And as my skateboarding years rolled by, my friends and I ________further into the unknown architectural skate spots around the globe. ________ with fellow skateboarders get past borders because the sport brings with it a bond of sincerity. You know ________ good times await. You’re a global conqueror aboard four wheels and seven layers of Canadian plywood.

I’m now 36, and, as I continue to age, my adventures as a skateboarder will ________. Skateboarding is an extension of play and fun. I shall never get tired of it.