I have spent a lot of time this year practicing detachment. Books I have read, including A Course in Miracles, talk about letting go of attachment to material, physical things. I now understand that none of us are defined by the things we have, whether it be the home we live in, the car we drive or the clothes we have. Understanding that any of that stuff can disappear really emphasized for me the need to release the importance that I have put on some of those things in the past.
I have to admit that detachment has been easier with some things in my life more than others, so I still have a lot of work to do. I have so many things in my storage locker that I haven’t touched since I moved into my home over 4 years ago! I’m now coming to the point where I’ve realized that I don’t need to hold onto my old university books and novels that I read 10 or 20 years ago, or my collection of stuffed animals from childhood. I have given a lot of my things emotional value, however, if those things were to disappear tomorrow, I would still have all the memories I associate with them…
While my work on releasing detachment in relation to my job, or my “stuff”, the people in my life, as well as my dog Lulu, have been more of a challenge… Clearly anything I have an emotional attachment to makes detachment harder for me. Recognizing this, had been a great eye opener, and allowed me to be more conscious of the things and or people that I struggle to release my mental hold on. I have released a lot of the attachment I have held in my relationships and the results has been great. It is easier some days than others, but when I am conscious and realize that “letting go and letting God” isn’t a mantra that one practices only when things are going well, it makes life so much lighter and peaceful. ♥
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