Once upon a time there was a pilgrim on a long pilgrimage. And at the end of each day, he would sit by his campfire, massaging his aching feet.
One day he was walking through a village, and a vendor approached him: “Sir, if you buy my comfortable folding chair, you will have somewhere comfortable to sit at the end of each day!” This sounded like a good idea, so our pilgrim bought the chair. And indeed, as he sat in it next to his campfire that evening, it was definitely more comfortable than sitting on the ground, and easier to massage his aching feet.
But he found that the chair also made his backpack heavier, so at the end of the day his feet ached even more.
The next day he was walking through another village, and a vendor approached him: “Sir, if you buy my foot-soaking bowl and Epsom salts, you’ll be able to soak your feet at the end of each day!” This sounded like a good idea, so he bought the bowl and salts. And indeed, as he sat in his chair next to his campfire that evening, soaking his feet in the bowl of Epsom salts felt very good indeed.
But he found that the chair and the bowl and the Epsom salts also made his backpack even heavier, so at the end of the day his feet ached even more.
Walking through yet another village, our pilgrim bought rollers he was assured he could put into his foot-soaking bowl and roll his feet on them for pain relief. Rolling his feet in the bowl of Epson Salts felt very good indeed. But they did add yet more weight to his load.
Thus laden, the pilgrim’s journey took him to a large lake over which a boatman could ferry him. Halfway across a storm arose, and the waves lapped over the gunwales of the boat. The boatman shouted, “Throw everything you possibly can overboard or we shall be drowned!” So the pilgrim threw overboard his chair, and bowl and Epson salts, and rollers, and that lightened the boat enough that they made their way safely to the shore.
Thereafter, after a day’s journey, our pilgrim found that his feet were still sore, but so much less than the pain he suffered carrying all the extra baggage that was supposed to make his feet feel better.