I would like to share with you a story I heard many years ago. I can’t remember the name of the person who told it and I possibly have terms wrong …

And that’s OK because this story has a powerful message.

It’s one I use regularly when helping clients.

Before I get into it, do you hang onto things from the past, like, something someone said or did and it’s still affecting you?

Maybe it’s something you constantly stew over.

Most people do this.

Here is the parable:

A very long time ago, there was a monk and a trainee monk walking along a country track.

After hours of walking, they came to a slightly flooded river. The water would have come up to their mid section.

Standing on the track in front of them was a lady of the night (a prostitute) waiting for the water to recede so she could cross the river without getting wet.

The monk struck up a brief conversation with the lady and then proceeded to pick her up and carried her across the river. He then put her down and he and the trainee monk proceeded to walk along the track that led downstream.

After some time, the monk could see the trainee appeared troubled about something.

“What worries you?” he asked.

“Well, you are a monk yet you picked that lady of the night up and carried her across the river.”

“I did. However, I put her down. How come you are still carrying her?”

What are you carrying from your past that is no longer relevant?

Maybe it’s time to ‘put it down’ and move on so you live in the present.

You’ve got this.