Mike "Pops" Klumpp

Seiko Shihan Oyama used to say “You can be happy or you can be sad. It’s your choice.”

So much that happens is completely out of our control. Yet, if we let it trouble us, even the smallest thing can become and issues.

There is a Buddhist koan that tells of a master who asked his young apprentice to hold out his hand and then handed him a cup of water. He instructed the student to hold the water until instructed otherwise. This seemed easy enough. However, after several minutes his arm was becoming tired and uncomfortable.

Still more time went by until the student finally asked “Master, how long must I continue to hold this cup?”

The Master replied “The cup has not become heavier but you are tired nonetheless. Even the smallest things can become burdens if we do not let go!”

One of the most difficult things to learn in life is to let go. We can be happy or we can be sad. It is up to us to know when to let go.