Living in The Present - A Lesson in Letting Go

There is an ancient story I really like about two Buddhist monks who are walking along a river in silence. They have taken a vow of chastity and can never speak to, or even touch a woman.

As they walk along the river, they see a woman who is desperately trying to get across the river to her child who is on the other side.

It is a fast-flowing river and she is too frightened to cross the river by herself.

One monk walks over to her and says, "May I help you?" He then picks her up and with the strength that he carries in his legs that walk mountains and valleys and streams as part of his daily work, he carries her across the river, sets her down by her child, then returns to join the other monk and they continue to walk up the river in silence again.

About two hours later the second monk eventually says to the first monk, "I can't believe you spoke to that woman and carried her across the river." "I can't believe you touched her." "I can't believe that you broke your vows."

The first monk simply looks at his companion and says, "I put her down two hours ago. You are still carrying her."

There is such a great lesson in this story about learning how we so often carry our problems around with us long after we should have just let them go or "put them down."

We are all guilty of living in the past and focusing on what happened yesterday instead of living in the present and enjoying the moment.

Today try to think of what you are still carrying around that really isn't happening anymore.

What are you still hanging on to that isn't in your present moment?

It could be anger from an argument you had yesterday, you could still be hurting over a broken relationship, or it could be the pain you are still feeling over the loss of a loved one.

Learn to put it down.

Release it and let go of it forever.

Only when you have put down what you are still carrying around, will you have your hands, your heart and your mind free to pick up what's new, here and waiting for you now.

Sometimes you have to learn to let go of the old to make room for new things that are waiting to come into your life.

Try learning to let go today, start living in the present and see how your life changes tomorrow.

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