Ron McClung in his blog, A Positive Perspective, shared the following story.
When Arthur Gordon, a writer, was going through a dry spell. Inspiration was slow in coming, so he talked to his family doctor, whom he admired as a wise, mature man.
After listening, the doctor said, “When you were a child, what gave you the greatest joy?”
Gordon said it was going to the beach.
The doctor advised him to do that, so he spend the whole next day alone at the beach. In addition he gave him four prescriptions. These were to be taken at 9am, noon, 3pm, and the final one @ 6pm.
The next day Gordon drove to the beach. The first prescription said, “Listen intently.” He listened to the sea washing the shore. He heard the wind and the gulls. He also heard a lot of silence.
At noon, the prescription was, “Try reaching back.” So, he sat between two sand dunes and tried reaching back in his memories, recalling one happy experience after another.
At three, he read, “Reexamine your motives.” So, he asked himself why he was a writer. To make money? To gain recognition? To help people?
At six, he read, “Write your worries in the sand.” He had one chief worry, so he wrote it in a few words. But then the tide was coming in and erased the words.
There is a wonderful lesson to be learned here. We all need to take time to listen, reflect, and reexamine. These practices are helpful and healthful. But the real key to become whole is to release. This is what Gordon did when he allowed the tide to erase his worries.
Release what you can’t control. Release what you once were. Release your motives. Release any and all anxiety. Releasing is the first step of reimagining.