10 / THE WORRY EXCHANGE OFFER /🔗

In a certain kingdom, it came to the king's notice that everybody was unhappy, because they found themselves burdened with more than their fair share of worries, while no one else seemed to have any major worries at all.

So the king announced a mega 'Worry Exchange Offer', where people could trade their big worries for others' minor ones. A vast space was made ready, in the center of which stood a giant Worry Pot. Here each person could happily dump his own worries and pick up the worries of anyone else they chose.

The entire kingdom gathered for the event. People brought in their worst worries, happy to trade them for another's - for surely, other people's worries would be far easier to endure! Strangers met and starting talking to each other, discussing the worries they had brought in to exchange. In due course, the event was declared open. An announcement was made asking all those interested in exchanging their worries to come forward and drop their worries in the pot. The only condition was that they choose an equal number of worries from the other worries which were on offer. Surprisingly (or not surprisingly), not a single person came forward to make the exchange, and eventually the event had to be declared closed due to lack of public participation!

/How long will you focus on your own problems? Turn your focus outward. When you begin to perceive yourself as an element in the awesome flow of Existence that envelops all, the pride and pain of personal gain and loss disappear naturally. By opening yourself to the pain of others, you blossom into a deeper realization of your own self./