Like the monkey holding the fruit, many of us cling to the past with clenched fists. We clutch to painful memories, we hold grudges, and we harbour what-ifs. We defend successes, mental models and the personas we have worked hard to develop. When we dwell on the past, we use up valuable energy that we could use to create our future.
The legend of Orpheus and Eurydice is a story of love, faith and transformation. It provides a wonderful analogy for letting go of the past and having faith in the future.
To transform we must let go of the way things used to be. Yes, we must respect the old order of things, but then let go.