Accept Pain, But Don't Nourish It

Bears like honey. And a bear will go after honey, no matter what. The bear sticks its paw in the beehive to get honey. The bees sting him relentlessly. His body and face quickly swell from bee stings, but he continues to go after the honey. No matter the stings, no matter the pain, he cannot give up his desire. The intelligent bear, though, will pick up a beehive and throw it in the river. The bees, fearing they’ll drown, fly away. The bear then retrieves the beehive from the river and enjoys the honey.

The world is like the stinging bees. We continually go after things that cause pain. We are stung constantly. But isn’t the sting of the world worth the honey? The intelligent person accepts pain but does not nourish it. She doesn’t give it room in her house. If you nourish pain or loneliness or doubt, you give it a room in your house. You allow it to occupy a space within you. Clean your house of this clutter. Sweep these things from your heart. Make space for joy, happiness, and bliss.

From When You Hear Hoofbeats Think of a Zebra by Shems Fridlander

By the way, my personal favorite blog post is called "Self -Pity is the World's Greatest Addiction."

Off to Orlando for the 21 Convention!

GoneSavage