Bring Me the Problem

A salesperson sat across from their zen master. 

“I’m anxious all the time.
Worried about hitting quota.
About the deal that might fall through.
Can you help me?”

The zen master nodded.
“I will help you. But first, bring me the problem. Put it in the bowl.”

The salesperson paused.
Looked around.
Searched for something real.

But there was nothing to grasp. 
Just a feeling.

And then it clicked.

The problem wasn’t visible.
It wasn’t tangible.
It was a story.

A story about what might happen.
What might go wrong.

The zen master smiled:

“Sales anxiety is like that.
Not a reality, just a story in the mind.
There is no need to worry about problems that haven’t happened yet.”