LEARN TO LET GO THAT IS THE KEY TO HAPPINESS – Buddha
Holding on to the past, regrets, grudges, or material possessions can make us feel down and prevent us from fully live in the present. The thrill of life’s ever-evolving journey cannot be fully appreciated by a heart that is weighed down by attachments, just as a closed hand cannot accept new benefits. We must let go of what no longer serves us in order to make room for fresh perspectives, personal development, and the profound contentment that results from a life lived with an open heart and mind.
The creative story about this quote:
A young woman named Olivia lives in a small village tucked between rolling hills. Olivia had a heart as big as the sky, and she was infinitely kind. She was happy-go-lucky, yet she was carrying a terrible load inside.
Olivia had been orphaned as a child and was raised up by her grandmother, a wise old woman named Amara. Amara had always shared her knowledge with Olivia, teaching her about the complexity of life.
But Olivia had found it difficult to grasp the actual significance of these lessons. She clung to everything in her life, fearful of losing it forever if she let go. She clung to everything, even the childhood toys she had played as a youngster, her first love, and her closest friends.
Olivia was strolling through the village center one crisp fall day when she saw a vibrant hot air balloon getting ready to take off. The locals gathered close by to watch the show. The balloon’s brilliant colors and the appeal of the promise of adventure were too attractive for Olivia to resist.
She went up to the experienced traveler Lucius, the pilot of the balloon, and requested if she could join the journey. Olivia suddenly found herself soaring above the world she had always known after Lucius smiled with enjoyment. The view was amazing from the hot air balloon. Olivia felt a sense of freedom. She had never experienced as she looked down at her village, the hills, and the flowing river below.
Olivia noticed Lucius manipulating the ropes with ease as the balloon went higher. She asked how he was able to fly the sky with such ease. The key, my love, is knowing when to let go, Lucius said with a smile. We must change our path by releasing just the right amount of hot air since the wind is what propels us.
As his words floated over the sky, Olivia thought about them. She came to understand that the flight of the balloon represented the path of life. She needed to learn when to let go of things that were dragging her down, just like the balloon.
Olivia kept on traveling with Lucius as the days grew into weeks. They traveled to amazing places, interacted with intriguing people, and took in the beauty of the planet in all its forms. Olivia learned more and became wiser with each day that passed.
Lucius and Olivia were camping one night when Olivia confided in him about her past and her difficulty comprehending her grandmother’s counsel. Lucius listened carefully before sharing a personal story.
I was employed to be a collector when I was younger, Lucius said to start. I collected trinkets and treasures from all around the world, hoping they would bring me joy. But as my collection grew, the very things I believed would bring me joy instead became a burden. One day, I realized that my possessions were keeping me from traveling the world as much as I wanted to. That’s when I realized what letting go really meant.
Olivia understood that, like Lucius before him, she had been gathering memories and experiences. She had been holding onto them out of concern that they might become worthless if she let go. But she saw now that a moment’s actual worth resided in its experience, not in the possession of its memories.
Olivia made the decision to go back to her village with her newly acquired knowledge and the teachings she had discovered. The locals gathered in the village center when she landed the hot air balloon, eager to hear about her exploits. She related her experiences and the important lesson about letting go that she had learned.
Olivia’s village noticed change over time. People started to let go of long-held resentments and attachments to material items. They began to concentrate on the delight of living completely and the beauty of the present moment. Olivia’s smile, which had before shined brightly, now shines even brighter. Because she had discovered the secret to happiness in the straightforward act of letting go.
Olivia spent the following years traveling around the world with Lucius, but she always made her way back to the village she had grown to love and where she had discovered the most crucial lesson of all. As a result, the people of that small village nestled between hills learned that the secret to happiness lay not in holding to the past but rather in appreciating the beauty of the present and the promise of the future. They had discovered true happiness as a result of their ability to let go.
