Of Pumpkins, Bricks and Chains

Here is a story that further clarifies the meaning of the previous 'Heavy Burdens'. A man was walking through a village carrying a huge pumpkin on his head, heavy bricks in his hands and big chains around his waist and ankles. He then met someone who asked him, "Why are you carrying that pumpkin?" "Am I? - said the man, surprised - I didn't realize I was. Actually, I don't need it", and he dropped it. After a while, he met someone else who asked, "Why are you carrying those heavy bricks?" Again the man said, "Am I? I really don't need them." So he dropped them, walking much more lightly. Finally, a third passerby asked, "Why are you carrying those big chains?" The man realized once again that he didn't need them. So he dropped them. Once he understood that the weights he had been dragging along were totally useless and that dropping them was his choice, he did so... and felt much lighter.

Heavy Burden

Negative feelings are huge burdens to carry. How to get rid of them? By becoming aware of them. Is it really that simple? It actually is. The problem is that, usually, you are "not" aware of the baggage you are dragging behind you. If you are jealous, for example, you will not recognize your jealousy for what it is. You say that you are rightly caring for what is yours, or that you are rightly suspicious of the behavior of another, or that you are rightly judging someone else's achievements. The key word here is "rightly". You believe that whatever you feel is not only 'right' but 'righteous'. You ascribe a moral justification to what is simply a petty or unfair attitude. Be honest with yourself, recognize and admit the truth. Only then will you be able to release the burden and proceed on your path as light as a feather.

Chiming Bells

A legend told the story of a far away village where an ancient temple had one thousand bells whose chiming was heavenly. But the temple had sunk into the ocean, so such angelic sound was heard no more. Nevertheless, it seemed that someone - although extremely rarely - had been able to hear it. A young man, fascinated by this story, collected all his savings and traveled to that distant village. For  many months, every day he went to the beach and tried very hard to cut off all other sounds in order to hear the bells. But, in spite of all his efforts to create silence, nothing ever happened. He finally gave up, and went to the beach one last time to say good-bye to the ocean. He lay down on the sand and - for once - he didn't fight the sounds of the waves, of the wind, of the rustling tree-leaves, of the birds. He simply allowed.... He accepted what was... Soon after, he heard the bells!

Consistency

How consistent are you? How able are you to organize your actions in order to keep up with your goals? Inconsistency is a trait common to many. They say they want to do something, but then they don't do it, or they do something else. Or they start a thousand projects and complete none. Your mind needs organization, a well-defined plan and, most of all, it needs focus. To be focused means to give all your attention to a specific target, make it your only aim, and concentrate all your energy - either physical or mental - in order to achieve it. When you are really willing to carry out a project efficiently, you truly do your best because your capabilities get enhanced. You become more creative, more precise and accurate. You know what to do and your intuition tells you how to do it. You are able to use your talents at the highest level, may they be writing, speaking, painting, fixing things, teaching or...just listening.

Choice vs. Fate

Still musing on the subject of "choice". Is choice always a "real" decision that you consciously make? To be completely real, you must be also aware of the consequences. Let's say you are invited to a party. You are free to choose whether to go or not to go. Let's say that you decide to go. While you are at the party, something happens that changes your life (you meet a special someone, you have an accident, you are presented with an unexpected golden opportunity etc.). What happens is, yes, the result of your mindful choice to go to the party. But the final outcome is certainly not. It is the consequence of a decision made by your "unconscious" self. It is called "fate" (i.e. the development of events beyond a person's control).

Before....

Discernment

Stubbornness is certainly not a virtue because it prevents you from seeing the mistake you made and it thus encourages you to persevere in a wrong behavior, in an obsolete idea, in an unfair judgment. Like many others, it's possible that you, too, believe that accepting something "different" means to have a weak character.  Actually, the contrary is true. When you are brave enough to admit your mistake, you show that you are flexible and open-minded. On the other hand, sometimes it may be necessary to persist in the pursuit of the result you wish to obtain. It's up to you to discern when it's advisable to give up or when you must go on with commitment and trust. If you don't succeed, it means that you didn't do "it" the right way. Maybe you need to make changes, either in your actions, in your attitude or in your thoughts. No-one was born to lose. Defeat is a mental perspective. You are defeated only when you say so.