“Dare to live by letting go.”
― Tom Althouse
Perhaps you’ve heard about the Buddhist teaching of non-attachment, perhaps not. My layman’s definition is this: when I must have or must do, when I think my ideas are *right* and I won’t let go, when I see the outcome in a situation and then hold onto it as the only possibility, I am attached. And moreover, my strong attachments can be very draining of my energy, or in Buddhist terms, cause me to suffer. Today I became aware that I am even attached to the spiritual practices that I hoped would guide me toward non-attachment! I struggle to release the books I “should” read or the teachers I “should” listen to.
The quote above, “Dare to live by letting go”, is a good reminder for me. In this lifetime, we have the opportunity to amass all sorts of things: stuff, knowledge, habits, dreams, friends, activities, even money! Yet, there comes a point where more is NOT merrier. And stockpiling any of this get heavy and blocks us from actually living this moment and noticing what is here now. We are often too busy collecting, managing, planning, carrying the load — to live.
Today, I am releasing the pile of books I was trying to find time to read. They’ll return to me if and when I need to read them! I am letting go of a belief that I *should* meditate more and imagining more presence in each moment, each activity. Today I release the fear that if I let go of “it”, I will somehow miss out or fail at life. Today I dare to live by letting go! What about you?
What are you attached to?
What living is impossible as long as you hold on?
What would it feel like to let it go?
