Monday Zen: The Man Who Said Yes
Why swim upstream if you can let the current carry you?
A man went to a Buddhist monastery for a silent retreat. After his period of reflection, he felt better, calmer, and stronger. Still, something was missing.
The teacher allowed the man to talk to one of the monks before he left.
The man thought for a while, then asked: "How do you find peace?"
The monk said: "I say yes. To everything that happens, I say yes."
In that moment, the man was enlightened.
The man in this story is Kamal Ravikant. In an interview, he shares his interpretation of the monk’s advice:
“Most of our pain, most of our suffering comes from resistance to what is. Life is. And when we resist what life is, we suffer. When you can say yes to life, surrender to life and say, ‘Okay, what should I be now?’ — that’s where power comes from.”
When the weather is bad, say yes. When your crush won’t answer, say yes. When the obstacle won’t budge, say yes.
Don’t say no. Don’t dig in your heels and push and shove until your veins pop out in frustration. Just say yes. Do it literally. “Yes.” Say it out loud. “Yes.”
Say yes, accept, and breathe. Life is flowing. Always. Why swim upstream? Why fight the current if you can go with it? Let it carry you. Start floating.
Ask life where it wants to take you, and no matter the answer, say: “Yes! Perfect! That’s exactly where I need to go. I may not know why, but I trust you. This is the right time, and you’ll take me to the right place.”
If you want to live a peaceful life, say yes.
-Nik
About Monday Zen: Most people hate Monday. Why? In a good life, it’s a day like any other. At the very least, it shouldn’t be worse by default. That’s what Monday Zen is for: To make sure you start the week with calm, poise, and determination.
Let’s not derail our trains of thought before they leave the station. Let’s enjoy the journey.
Yes
Hating Mondays is like fighting against a river’s flow. So, it makes Mondays even worse! A better way to live a Monday is to be grateful for being alive and enjoying the wondrous world surrounding us. Find the smallest part one could love in his or her work and then try to expand it to the next part or task. Perhaps, then, Mondays wouldn’t be so hateful.