Letting go

Let me tell you a story about catching monkeys.  The story goes something like this.   A hunter puts some of the monkey’s favorite food such as a cherry in a jar with a narrow neck.  The hunter securely ties the jar to a wooden stake using a rope.  The neck of the jar is just wide enough for the monkey’s hand to squeeze into the jar though the narrow neck.  The monkey puts in his hand and grasps the cherry inside the jar.  Then the monkey goes to withdraw his hand but his fist holding the cherry will not pass through the narrow neck of the jar.  The monkey becomes trapped because he is not willing to let go of the prized cherry and escape.  The monkey is trapped by holding on to the cherry.

The lesson from the story is that holding on to stuff, even appealing stuff, can trap us and hold us back.

Reflection

What cherry are you holding on to that no longer serves you? What do you need to let go of that is trapping you?  Perhaps it is a job, career, hobby, relationship, self-perception, addiction or habit?  Like the monkey you need to be able to let go of the cherry to be free.  Letting go and reinventing yourself is a very important skill in today’s rapidly changing world.  If we are unable to let go of the cherry, then like the monkey, we risk being trapped which leads to stagnation in our lives.

Best wishes,

Tom

PS. For more great ideas on personal development check out Transform Your Life – Experiments on Personal Change