“For peace of mind, we need to resign as general manager of the universe.”
THE FARMER’S TREES AND THE LAW OF RESPONSIBILITY
Once upon a time, there was a farmer. He had fields full of beautiful trees bearing tons of fruits. He worked hard to tend the trees, water, and prune them. However, he had a few trees which did not produce any fruit. He tried everything to make them bear fruit, but nothing worked. So, all his time went into the few trees. He yet had to learn the Law of Responsibility.
One day, he realized he should have paid more attention to all the other trees. So he took responsibility and let go of what did not belong to him, the non-producing trees. Instead, he entirely focused on what belonged to him, the producing trees. So, he cut down the non-producing trees and planted new ones instead. Furthermore, he committed to concentrating his time and attention on the trees that already bear fruit, making them even more lush.
This parable teaches us that we must take responsibility to focus on what belongs to us and let go of what doesn’t. As a result, we can focus on and nurture productive and fruitful things in our lives rather than trying something that is not ours. By taking charge of what is ours, we can create abundance and prosperity.
STOP DOING WHAT WE “SHOULD” DO
Do you know the feeling of being responsible for everything that is happening around you? Are you trying to juggle ten tasks simultaneously only because you think that’s what you “should” do?
Many different specialists build a house. Everyone has their responsibility to contribute to the final masterpiece. Imagine the plumber also starting to do the electricity and the painting. As a result, everything will turn out mediocre or worse.
By focusing on our responsibilities and contributing our best gifts to a project, we can shine in our “meant-to-be” role. Furthermore, we empower others to step into their roles rather than take on all their responsibilities.
The Law of Responsibility is a reminder to set our boundaries and respect those of others. Instead of overhelping or over-cooperating, which creates co-dependency, we foster empowerment. However, it is upon the over-helpers to take the first step. Rarely does the counterpart complain about too much-given help.
Step three, Separation, of the Alchemical transformation process, helps us filter out what is genuinely ours from what comes from conditioning or expectations. As a result, we establish our boundaries and can contribute our best selves to the world.
