Tonight I hope you enjoy this excerpt from Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth. When I am strongly holding onto thoughts in my head this story helps me laugh at myself, and just let go.

“The inability or rather unwillingness of the human mind to let go of the past is beautifully illustrated in the story of two Zen monks, Tanzan and Ekido, who were walking along a country road that had become extremely muddy after heavy rains. Near a village, they came upon a young woman who was trying to cross the road, but the mud was so deep it would have ruined the silk kimono she was wearing. Tanzan at once picked her up and carried her to the other side.

The monks walked on in silence.

Five hours later, as they were approaching the lodging temple, Ekido couldn’t restrain himself any longer. ‘Why did you carry that girl across the road?’ he asked. ‘We monks are not supposed to do things like that.’

‘I put the girl down hours ago,’ said Tanzan. ‘Are you still carrying her?’”

What are you still carrying in your mind?  What might it feel like to not carry that around all the time?  Just for this present moment allow yourself to drop those thoughts and experience what it feels like.