Letting Go of what Holds Us Back
There is a parable about two monks who went on a journey. They came to a river with a strong current where they met a young woman who asked whether they could help her to cross the river. The elder of the two monks picked up the woman and carried her on his back to the other side. The younger monk said nothing but was clearly upset.
Toward nightfall, the elder monk said to the younger, “Are you alright, brother? You seem upset about something.” “Why did you carry that woman across the river this morning? You know that monks are not supposed to have any interaction with women,” replied the younger. “Well, it’s like this,” said the elder. “It’s hours since I carried her across the river. But she is clearly still a burden to you.”
This parable leads to the question: How do we define interaction? When are we interacting with one another and when not? Are we interacting when we hold a grudge, feel anger, or harbor resentment? At what point do we let go?
How long do we want to carry the burden? What do we have invested in regret and remorse? Why do we hold on to grudges? What’s the payoff for investing our energy in self-pity or martyrdom? Could it possibly be to avoid advancement and to sustain the pain and discomfort to which we are so emotionally addicted?
When we are truly ready to advance, we forgive all and release the foul-smelling debris from the so-called past. We no longer hold ourselves back or constrain our-selves. We assume the leadership role in our lives, progress, and move forward. In other words, we lift the spell, open our hearts, and embrace the world.
Image: Ragnheiður Arngrímsdóttir
There is a parable about two monks who went on a journey. They came to a river with a strong current where they met a young woman who asked whether they could help her to cross the river. The elder of the two monks picked up the woman and carried her on his back to the other side. The younger monk said nothing but was clearly upset.
Toward nightfall, the elder monk said to the younger, “Are you alright, brother? You seem upset about something.” “Why did you carry that woman across the river this morning? You know that monks are not supposed to have any interaction with women,” replied the younger. “Well, it’s like this,” said the elder. “It’s hours since I carried her across the river. But she is clearly still a burden to you.”
This parable leads to the question: How do we define interaction? When are we interacting with one another and when not? Are we interacting when we hold a grudge, feel anger, or harbor resentment? At what point do we let go?
How long do we want to carry the burden? What do we have invested in regret and remorse? Why do we hold on to grudges? What’s the payoff for investing our energy in self-pity or martyrdom? Could it possibly be to avoid advancement and to sustain the pain and discomfort to which we are so emotionally addicted?
When we are truly ready to advance, we forgive all and release the foul-smelling debris from the so-called past. We no longer hold ourselves back or constrain our-selves. We assume the leadership role in our lives, progress, and move forward. In other words, we lift the spell, open our hearts, and embrace the world.
Image: Ragnheiður Arngrímsdóttir
Hér er tækifæri sem þú vilt ekki missa af!
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The only thing that matters is what we do with what happens. Our response maters—whether we choose an appropriate response or simply react with a twitch or are flex and allow the imemine to rule. Our response determines whether we advance toward prosperity or remain in scarcity. Our response reveals the level of permission we give ourselves—whether we kick ourselves when we are down or help ourselves to our feet compassionately, whether we love ourselves anyway, and whether we are willing to forgive ourselves.
The challenges we create or attract into our lives and how we resolve them define us—and we all seem to require formidable challenges to awaken from the spell of the imemine. Major life challenges cut deep into our emotional lives, but they also pro-vide opportunities for growth or depletion. Death, accidents, and divorce are common types of crises. Let’s take a look at the last of these: Divorce is one of the most intense experiences we can encounter. While it can be life-shattering, it can also signal an opportunity for growth. Every loss offers a new path to awakening. Separation with the familiar brings anxiety, but it also brings independence and a heightened under-standing of self. There are constant opportunities in life to awaken to our own creation. The transparency of these opportunities is fully revealed once we are conscious and acknowledge how we unconsciously manipulate the energy to reflect and expose our hidden agendas.
Each time we acknowledge and take responsibility for where we have brought our-selves, we become more empowered and better equipped to truly define what we do want by leveraging these challenging experiences and to discover what we don’t want and then reaffirm our intentions and advance accordingly.
Image: Ragnheiður Arngrímsdóttir
The challenges we create or attract into our lives and how we resolve them define us—and we all seem to require formidable challenges to awaken from the spell of the imemine. Major life challenges cut deep into our emotional lives, but they also pro-vide opportunities for growth or depletion. Death, accidents, and divorce are common types of crises. Let’s take a look at the last of these: Divorce is one of the most intense experiences we can encounter. While it can be life-shattering, it can also signal an opportunity for growth. Every loss offers a new path to awakening. Separation with the familiar brings anxiety, but it also brings independence and a heightened under-standing of self. There are constant opportunities in life to awaken to our own creation. The transparency of these opportunities is fully revealed once we are conscious and acknowledge how we unconsciously manipulate the energy to reflect and expose our hidden agendas.
Each time we acknowledge and take responsibility for where we have brought our-selves, we become more empowered and better equipped to truly define what we do want by leveraging these challenging experiences and to discover what we don’t want and then reaffirm our intentions and advance accordingly.
Image: Ragnheiður Arngrímsdóttir
Hér er tækifæri sem þú vilt ekki missa af!
web-extract.constantcontact.com
Eftir góða stund í Rope Yoga setrinu er gott að grípa til heimatilbunu kókosjógúrtarinnar. Veittu þér athygli!
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