Box of Rocks
Not to be confused with the expression relating to stupidity (“dumb as a box of rocks”) this box of rocks is filled with the weight of your resentments. Have you ever heard the crashing sound of someone dropping something?. “You can put that down anywhere.” is the joke people often say after a server drops a tray of dishes in a restaurant. Bluntly, if you carry resentments, think of those as rocks. If you want to be free, put them down, you can “put them down anywhere” any time you are ready to be free.
Recently I was reminded of a man from my distant past. I’ll call him Dubya. He had been one part of the pain I knew as a child and I had forgotten about him. Except that Dubya is likely mentioned in a book I’m writing, so he was never entirely forgotten, was he? But I recently chose to forgive Dubya. And another rock was dropped. Ahh…. My load is even lighter now.
I’ve meditated with Dr. Ramdesh (Link below) and I am still working toward forgiving both the aforementioned “man” and my mother, as I hold them jointly responsible.
This forgiveness has now introduced an odd thought about how it may have impacted my desire to become an adult. Another post I’ll write later, with understanding.
Enough about me, this is for you. This about your happiness. Free yourself.
Your unalienable rights as an American include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, as I had written long ago in another post – October 16, 2012. (Link below)
In the middle of that short list is liberty, freedom I say.
Forgiveness begets freedom. Drop the rocks.
Pursue and enjoy happiness, the ultimate renewable energy.
Imagine physically holding a rock. Think of the rock as your resentment toward someone (living or dead). Let the weight of it represent how hurt, angry, or bitter you feel. Fill in your own negative expression here, this is yours, after all.
Imagine yourself having to carry that load.
Ask yourself, “Does this make me happy?”
Seriously, the answer cannot logically be yes.
One last question: “If I put these rocks down and refuse to carry them further, how will that feel?”
You may find some form of this expression elsewhere. Simply stated, it goes something like this: Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die.
“Resentment is like a poison we carry around inside us with the hope that when we get the chance we can deposit it where it will harm another who has injured us. The fact is that we carry this poison at extreme risk to ourselves.” – Bert Ghezzi
Doubling down on Bert’s import, how much sense does this make if the person is already dead (as in my personal case stated above.)
As our founding fathers wisely stated:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Drop the rock. Free yourself. Enjoy liberty; and happiness, or the pursuit of it, becomes a far lighter endeavor.
Unencumbered, go. Enjoy!
_____________
Links:
https://www.rouleywrites.com/blog/2012/10/17/life-liberty-and-the-pursuit-of-happiness.html
_____________
As a speech, this (blog post) would be crafted in reverse order.
- Conclusion – call to action – how we end our speech. Your foundation.
- Three supporting points – how we drive home its message. Brick and mortar.
- An introduction or lead in story – how we start with something relatable.
Call to Action: Free yourself of the burden of resentment – Forgive Quickly
- Any resentment toward anyone from your past is a stone you carry alone. Drop it.
- Fortunately, you are alive in this country. You have the right to freedom and the pursuit of happiness. These are self-evident truths.
- Carrying rocks is illogical, like taking a little bit of poison every day, so you won’t forget your bitterness. Quote by Bert.
Please don’t share your burden with me – levity in a heavy topic.
Introduction: “Box of Rocks” expression and “You can put that down anywhere.”
To be clear, knowing where you are going helps you define the path to that destination.
