Parisian Phoenix Publishing

Felix thought if he climbed to the top of Ataraxis Mountain, he would have peace of mind. He packed his gear and set out on his way, sure he had thought of everything. As Felix journeyed up the mountain, he noticed that he was slower than most people and that he tired much quicker. 

A man walked up to Felix.

“Why are you carrying that big piece of wood?” the man asked.

“This is my staff to protect me and help me along the way,” Felix replied. “If people see me with a strong staff, they will think I’m strong, too.”

The man smiled.

“It looks like a tree limb,” the man said. “Lighten your load. Get rid of it! What other people think is none of your business. All you need is a walking stick.”

So that’s what Felix did— he traded his protective staff for a walking stick. 

“This walking stick is much better than that big, old staff that I was carrying,” he thought as he walked. “I can move more relaxed and with less concern.”

As Felix journeyed up the mountain, he met a woman.

“Why do you carry that sword and shield?” the woman asked. “It looks heavy and makes noise.” Felix responded, “My shield protects me and my sword is to do battle.”

“You’re climbing a mountain,” the woman said, “not slaying a dragon. Lighten your load! Get rid of that unnecessary apparatus of anger and fear.”

Felix took her advice. He realized that he could move much easier, and that his load was much lighter. He felt less fearful. 

Halfway up the mountain, Felix came to a rest area. It had a spring of cool mountain water and a small flea market. Felix sipped his water while looking at the items on display at the flea market. 

The flea marketeer came to him.

“Hello,” she said, “I’m Irene. I was wondering, why are you carrying them big, old binoculars? They look cumbersome and heavy.”

“These binoculars help me to see the future,” Felix answered. 

Irene sighed. 

“Oh, that’s not so,” she said. “They don’t help you see the future! They make the things  you see bigger. When you focus on a problem, you will see the problem much bigger than it really is. Get rid of those old binoculars and lighten your load! What you need is a nice pair of hiking boots. That will keep your feet grounded in the now.”

Felix thought about it for a minute or two. Then, he traded his binoculars for a pair of hiking boots. 

“The boots fit perfectly,” said Felix. 

“A good boot is a boot you don’t notice,” Irene said with a grin.

Felix thanked her and went on his journey.

About three-fourths of the way up Ataraxis Mountain, Felix met a man descending the mountain resting on a stump.

“What is all that stuff you have around your waist?” he asked Felix.

“Oh, these are my luck charms,” said Felix. “I have four-leaf clovers, a bag of lucky pennies, a dream catcher, a miniature elephant, and a big horseshoe.”

“That horseshoe is mighty big, must have come from a Clydesdale,” the man on the stump said. “Superstition increases anxiety and fear. Isn’t it a bit greedy and arrogant to have all of them luck charms? You’re going to the top of the mountain to find peace of mind. Have faith in the mountain. Lighten your load! Get rid of that belt of false notion.”

Felix looked at the man sitting on the stump.

“Maybe you’re right,” Felix said. “But I think I’ll compromise and keep the dream catcher and the four-leaf clovers.” 

Felix continued to climp up the mountain and when he finally got to the top, he stood there looking with love, wonder, and awe. Felix thought he could see the whole world from the top of Ataraxis Mountain. 

He felt peace and serenity. Things were behind him, and there was nothing but the open sky in front of him. Felix sat in silence and contemplation for a long time. He realized that he had a divine connection with the mountain and the universe. Felix was ready to descend the mountain now that he had found peace of mind. 

He lightened his load, not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well.

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Note to the reader: 

The meaning of “Ataraxis” is “the absence of mental stress or anxiety.”

“Irene” is the Greek goddess of serenity.

The name “Felix” means happy or lucky.

We all carry extra baggage and need to lighten our load. The story of Felix’s journey is a metaphor for discarding our individual defects, flaws, and weaknesses. Many of us don’t see the errors in our persona or realize they are damaging our well-being. Anger, procrastination, laziness, jealousy, self-centeredness, greed, and fear are some of the negative behaviors that we carry. These behaviors interfere with relationships, goals, achievements, and personal satisfaction. 

For Felix to let go of the staff was getting right-sized. He didn’t have to be something or someone that he wasn’t. He just had to be himself.

Releasing the sword and shield was letting go of anger and fear. We all have ways that we do battle with the emotional world and when we can let go of unnecessary fears, our anger will subside.

I must say that the binoculars are my favorite. Looking into the future and seeing problems much bigger than they usually are, that is something that I’m familiar with. I found that staying in the now is a lot better than vacationing in my head with magnified thoughts.

Discarding the luck charms is about trust. For Felix to have faith in his journey, he needed to trust the mountain that was to give him peace of mind. Also, the luck charms represent something magical that will change him or give him what he wanted without any effort. 

The journey up the mountain was the metaphor for the change within him. Felix kept the four-leaf clovers and the dream catcher, he compromised. He was not ready to completely surrender all of his character defects. Felix did not totally commit to change.

When Felix reached the top of the mountain, he could see things more clearly. His silence and contemplation helped him let go of the unnecessary beliefs and behaviors and find the thoughts that illuminated his true self. 

Even though his journey was not perfect, he still found some peace of mind and had a connection with the divine. This tells us that we have to climb our mountains over and over again because we are not perfect. 

And every time we climb our mountain we have to lighten our load.

God Bless and Have Fun!

Larry

If you are looking for a copy of The Death of Big Butch, a novella set in 1974 that discusses friendship, responsibility and fatherhood, or Coffee in the Morning, a short story collection that combines fact, fiction and fantasy in ways that celebrate family life, you can find them at several Lehigh Valley locations.

1. Barnes and Noble #2210, Southmont Shopping Center, Rt. 33 and Freemansburg Ave., Bethlehem Township, Pa.
2. Blue Flame Events Retail Store, Palmer Park Mall, 25th Street/Rt. 248 and Palmer Park Drive, Easton, Pa.
3. Book and Puppet Company, Centre Square, downtown Easton

Speaking of Blue Flame Events, Parisian Phoenix Publishing founder Angel Ackerman will be at the store tonight (July 25, 2024) at 7 p.m. doing a live stream on Facebook and TikTok.