Taking On Other People’s Problems
There was a young man who wanted to find the secret to peace in the fast paced world he lived in. He went to see the guru of the mountain top. The young man was dressed in a 3 piece suit with expensive Italian shoes and a Rolex watch. He looked super sharp. He said to the guru, “I need to find peace. My mind is always racing and I need peace.” The guru said “To have peace my son, you must complete this task.” The guru handed him a small necked glass bottle with a live duck inside the bottle. The young man looked bewildered. “What do you want me to do?” The guru replied, “ I want you to get the duck out of the bottle without killing the duck or breaking the glass bottle. When you have done that you will know the secret to peace.” The young man left the mountain. He was gone for about 3 months.
He returned to the mountain. He had lost his jacket, vest and tie, his hair was shaggy and he had a beard, the shirt sleeves were dirty, and rolled up, the shoes were scuffed and worn out and he had body odor. “Guru please tell me the secret to peace,” begged the young man. The guru said “My son have you completed the task?” “No guru. The duck is still in the bottle.” “Well my son, complete the task and you will know the secret to peace.” The young man left dejected and defeated. Three more months go by and the young man returns.
You remember what Tom Hanks looked like in castaway. Well, the young man looked like that. He was in a loin cloth, no shoes, no shirt, hair was grown out, beard was several inches long and unkempt and you could smell him coming before you saw him. The guru looked at the young man who looked aged and said, “My son did you complete the task?” “No guru I have not. I have tried everything. I have googled it, I have sought out others to help me, I have taken pills for it, I have tried everything to complete the task, however the duck is still in the bottle.” “Well my son, when you complete the task you will have peace.” The young man left again.
A few months later he returned. He was clean shaven, he was in a new suit, new shoes, had a new haircut, new watch and looked like he was on top of the world. The guru admired him and asked “My son did you complete the task?” The young man smiled and said “Yes, I realized what peace is. It is not my duck.”
Finding Your Secret To Peace
We take on other people’s problems, issues, goals, desires, etc and we lose ourselves and our peace. We must remember if it is not our duck, we do not need to take it on.
Tags:
