Stream
Hello dear reader - welcome to my Wednesday Weekly.
While being interviewed recently for an article for the New York Times I was asked to share something people wouldn't know about me.
I've done a lot of interviews, written several books, and said so many things on television and at live events that I couldn't at first think of what that thing might be. I settled on the fact that I was Buddhist for about 6 years.
The reporter asked me to share some insights, and understandably had lots of questions about why I wasn't anymore, and what I'd learned during that time.
I shared this story, as something that I often share with businesses when they need to hear it - it's an old story about two monks.
The monks are walking alongside a stream and see a woman in a silk dress, sobbing.
One of the monks asks her what is wrong, and the woman explains that she needs to cross the stream, but the beautiful silk dress she is wearing was made by her Mother, and that if she crosses, she will ruin it.
The other monk explains their predicament: unfortunately they are unable to help her for their order strictly forbids the touching of women. However, the monk comforting the woman decides he should break the rules, gently picks the woman up and carries her across the stream. Full of gratitude and joy, the woman thanks the monk, as he wades back across the stream.
The other monk is furious. For the entire walk back to the monastery he chastises his fellow for breaking the rules, calling him a bad monk, and repeatedly shaming him for his actions.
At the monastery they both retire to bed, as the wet monk dries out and drifts off to sleep.
In the middle of the night, however, he is woken by the still angry monk, still upset and annoyed about how bad his fellow monk is.
"But why?", says the helpful monk.
"Because you carried that woman!", the angry monk explains.
"What woman?", asks the weary monk.
The other monk is exasperated: "WHAT?! The woman you carried across the stream!"
"Oh, her", the woken monk replies. "I only carried her across the stream - you carried her all the way back to the monastery."
Sometimes we give far too much attention to the things that bother us, but are the only one carrying them. I often advise people that if it's taking your energy, or distracting, and isn't getting you further forward, or helping, then it's not worth carrying.
Be conscious and brutal.
Leave it at the stream.
Happy Wednesday,
Jez
PS. I was interviewed a few weeks ago by the lovely Megan at Champions PLC about high performance and the benefits of challenging the status quo. You can watch it here.
