John Y’s Musings from the Middle: Change, Zen, Lions and Letting Go

A good friend with an exciting opportunity for a career change recently messaged me about the fear of making such a big change.

I shared a Zen parable I heard years ago that I think exemplifies shrewdly the fear of “letting go” of something we know for something new and scary.

I can’t recall the specifics of the story but this is my very paraphrased version.

“A monk was being chased by a lion and to save himself had to jump of a cliff in the dark of night where he grabbed a thin limb growing on the side of the cliff. The monk, dangling for his life in the pitch black dark, waited for the sun to come up before his strength gave way and, he feared, falling to his death.

But the sunrise didnt come soon enough and the monk’s arms, exhausted and numb, gave way slipping off the branch.

And the monk fell 6 inches to the ground below.

About that is often about as far we have to fall when making a compelling life change.

Something to think about…when you feel like letting go.

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Thought for the day

Each day try to learn one thing that will enhance your life

And….more importantly

Try to unlearn one old thing that is diminishing your life