LETTING GO IS A CONSCIOUS CHOICE











Leo Buscaglia, the author of ‘Living, Loving and Learning’, says: “What we call the secret of happiness is no more a secret than our willingness to choose life.”


Most of our miseries – dare I say ‘all’ our miseries? – yes, most of our miseries are ‘self-created’.


Hard to believe?


Hard because, we are not ready yet to see and accept the reality – what ties us down to our misery. Are they the conditions (the circumstances we are in), or are they the ‘choices’ we make to respond to them? I think, this is the plain truth, which, Leo Buscaglia is trying to convey.


Often, we hold on to things we should have long ‘dropped’. In life, certainly, there is a time to hold on… try hard to change our conditions. But, when misery comes to rule our hearts, it’s not worth holding on… It’s time to let go… simply ‘drop’ what causes the misery in us. Once we choose to value ‘peace’ more than the ‘turmoil’, it’s easy to make those so-called ‘hard choices’…


Letting go is a choice… a conscious choice. It’s the source of our happiness…It’s no more a ‘secret’. And, I keep reminding myself, time and again, about it… Yes, every time misery returns to rob me of my happiness. When it did, last evening, I reminded myself through a Blog I had posted some months ago…



ARE WE LIKE THE KITE
OR ARE WE LIKE THE CROWS?


In a village, the fishermen have just returned after their daily catch. As they are busy sorting the fishes, a kite swoops down from the sky, picks a fish by its beak, and shoots up into the sky…


Immediately, hundreds of crows appear from nowhere and begin to chase the kite, making a crazy noise... Whichever direction the kite takes, the crows follow the kite. Finally, the kite becomes tired and decides to drop the fish. As soon as the fish is dropped, the crows leave the kite alone and go after the falling fish…


The kite, quietly, settles down on the branch of a nearby tree. Sitting there, it looks at the crazy sight and concludes:

“There go, with that wretched fish, all my miseries!”



I first came across this enchanting story, some three decades ago, in the book, ‘Tales and Parables of Sri  Ramakrishna' (Ramakrishna Paramahamsa). Ever since then, I have recounted this fable countless times in our PD sessions as well as in my Blogs. Just a couple of days ago, in one of our sessions, I told this story, once again, to a group of little ones.


“Darlings, what is the moral of the story?” I asked.


Little kids come out with some very interesting and entertaining versions of the moral.


But, then, it’s a very serious story… Absolutely profound!


Till the time the kite holds on to that silly fish, the crows make its life miserable. The moment it decides to ‘drop’ the fish – lets go of the source of misery – it becomes free, peaceful…


And, look at those dumb crows! They can’t see the boat loaded with fishes! There is enough for each one of them. Yet, they are unable to see this truth… They are after that one fish which the kite has picked and now dropped!


Crazy, indeed!


“Sir, are we like the kite or are we like the crows?” The other day, a little one asked me this question, with all the innocence in the world.



“You tell me, darling,” I let the little one think.


“We are like both,” came the answer!


“Bright girl,” I patted the little one, “you are right!”



GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.: Dylan R MacCabe



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