How a simple story can reduce anxiety

One of my clients shared this story with me recently, and I loved it so much I want to share it with you. There were 2 monks walking along a riverbank. Their ordination said that they should never have any contact with female flesh. And as they walked along the riverbank, they saw a woman on the other side who clearly needed to get across the river. But she was scared. She couldn't swim. So the older of the 2 monks waded across the river, put the woman around his shoulders, carried her across, and she went on her way. The monks carried walking in silence for an hour or more, until the younger of the 2 was so frustrated he said, I've got to stop and ask you, Why did you touch that woman and go against everything that is right for you? And the older monk turned around and said, it was the right thing to do at the time, but time has moved on for me. But for you, you've been carrying that woman in your head for the last hour. And I love this story because it really symbolises a lot of the stuff that we do. We carry things around in our head that really belonged way back in the past. The moment has gone, decisions are made at the time. The decisions might be good ones, they may be bad ones, but you don't move on from them when you keep them in your head. And I'd love you to now to keep that in mind when you find yourself Anxious because you're dwelling on something that's gone in the past. Put it down.