“Everything is temporary; Emotions, thoughts, people and scenery. Do not become attached, just flow with it.”
~Anonymous
Detach – I’ve studied Buddhism quite a bit and to me, it is both very simple and complex at the same time. One of the 3 Universal Truths of Buddhism is that everything changes. In their Core Values, they go on to talk about the 4 Universal Truths.
What caught my attention today was Truth #2. It says “There is a cause of suffering. Suffering is due to attachment. It is the desire to have and control things.” Now if we look at our quote for today, it starts to make a little more sense.
Everything is temporary and yet in our attachment, we try to make it permanent. Maybe we like ‘it’ or ‘them’ so we want it to stay the same. We want to hold on to the things that feel good which is a totally natural thing to do. And yet, things still change… So the hurt can come in the change.
In addition to studying Buddhism, I am also a student of attachment theory. I believe there is a healthy balance to just about everything. A yin and yang, in and out, ebb and flow. Attachment is the same. We crave attachment and connection. I would argue that we need to to survive! And yet attachment is the root of suffering.
Think about one person that you truly love. It’s not relevant wether it’s a parent or child or lover, just someone you have had or currently have a deep attachement or connection to. That person can be our starting point for our biggest emotions: joy and it’s opposite. We need that connection with other people!
So why detach?
I believe that it’s in those connections that we can truly experience growth. We can find the things that bring us to our highest and greatest version of ourselves. Sometimes that is through the love and joy and support, and other times we find that clarity through the contrast. (“well, I never want to do that again!”)
So why detach?
Great question! When we can detach from things or people or beliefs, we get a chance to CHOOSE what we want to attach to. We get the chance to find the things or people or beliefs that truly bring us joy!
So today, see what things or people or beliefs you can detach from. Are you a little too involved in your sister’s best friends breakup? Do you have a few extra kitchen gadgets that you never use? When we detach from the things that are no longer serving us, we can make room for the things that truly bring us joy! So today, if it doesn’t being you joy, let it go.
In Love and Light,
