DON'T BE A FOOL! - LET GO OF THE BANANA

Villagers in ancient India developed a simple and successful way to capture a monkey. A person would first find a ripe coconut, cut out a hole roughly the same size as a monkey’s hand and drink up or drain it of the sweet milk. Then the coconut would be tied to a tree in the forest and, a small banana would be placed inside the coconut.
Before long, a monkey would discover that hollow coconut with a banana inside. It would reach in, grasp the fruit and try to pull it out. However, the hole was only large enough for an open palm to be placed inside. When his fist was holding the banana, the monkey could not remove his hand.
When the village returned to check his banana – coconut trap, the monkey would frantically try to pull out his fist with the banana. The creature was trapped. All the monkey had to do to escape was open his fist, let go of the banana, pull his hand out and run.

That’s how monkeys came to be captured. They won’t let go of what keeps them trapped, stuck, frozen in place.

And, that’s exactly how humans get captured by life. The path to freedom is: let go of the banana.

• Let go of regret,
  
• Let go of guilt.
• Let go of anger.
• Let go of a relationship which is over, done, gone.

Buddhist monk and writer Thich Nhat Hanh has observed “People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.” Don’t remain with what’s familiar. Branch out. Break out. Move on.