Releasing Attachment
One of the keys to simplify your life is to release attachment to material possessions that you just don't need or want anymore. By uncluttering your physical environment, you can unclutter your mind.
Let's take that a step further to unclutter your mental environment which can lighten your Spiritual Self. It's a similar idea, just not as easy to "see". It requires thought about the way you think. It is easy to get stuck in familiar habits of relating to others and ourselves, just as it is easy to accumulate material possessions that become a part of our environment to the extent that we don't even notice them anymore. Being stuck in a mental habit that does not serve our highest good, actually blocks the flow of harmony in our lives.
Feelings of disharmony may manifest themselves in many ways from little irritations to depression, overeating and other unhealthy habits, among other things. It can be very hard to release yourself from these. First it takes recognition that something is not right, and the desire to change must come from a knowing that there must be a better way. It becomes more painful to live with those things than to change.
We can make major shifts within our minds. Often the shift comes when we move from thinking with fear to thinking with love.
Recently I was having a challenge with my husband when he was talking about moving. We just had a major move 4 months ago and I was concerned about so many of the details of moving again so soon. I was afraid of how my daughter would react, what my family would say, the physical hassle of moving. Basically, I had a fear of the unknown. I became stuck in these thoughts, going around and around and creating a wedge between my husband and I. The kids and I went down to the creek, with me feeling a bit cranky thinking about things that hadn't even happened. I wallowed in this feeling for a while. After playing half-heartedly for a while, I just lay on my belly in one of the warm shallow pools. I was playing with the sand and watching it drift slowly out of my hands and run through my fingers. I saw a little sand crab digging and wondered about it and it's life. Somehow getting outside of myself allowed me to see the situation more clearly. I released the attachment I was feeling and asked for help to see it in a new way. I asked myself "what would love do now?" and remained open for guidance. It didn't come straight away, but the act of opening myself had me open to it when it came. It was later that night, when the house was quiet. I was able to talk calmly to him about my concerns. In that conversation, we became clearer about our vision and goals and the wedge was removed.
For me to release the attachment to this situation, I needed to:
1. Recognise that there was a problem. (I was cranky and detached from my family.)
2. Recognise where the problem was. (My fear about moving.)
3. Mentally step away from the situation. (Watching the sand and the crab.)
4. Knowing that I wanted to handle this differently.
5. Asking for guidance in seeing this situation with love.
6. Remaining open.
I am grateful for being able to make the shift. As I practice this more often - releasing my attachment to a situation that was not serving me well and shifting my thinking to operate from love instead of fear - it will become easier. Already I am feeling lighter and more connected to my true Self.
"Breathe Deep...Seek Peace" - from the movie Dinotopia
Let's take that a step further to unclutter your mental environment which can lighten your Spiritual Self. It's a similar idea, just not as easy to "see". It requires thought about the way you think. It is easy to get stuck in familiar habits of relating to others and ourselves, just as it is easy to accumulate material possessions that become a part of our environment to the extent that we don't even notice them anymore. Being stuck in a mental habit that does not serve our highest good, actually blocks the flow of harmony in our lives.
Feelings of disharmony may manifest themselves in many ways from little irritations to depression, overeating and other unhealthy habits, among other things. It can be very hard to release yourself from these. First it takes recognition that something is not right, and the desire to change must come from a knowing that there must be a better way. It becomes more painful to live with those things than to change.
We can make major shifts within our minds. Often the shift comes when we move from thinking with fear to thinking with love.
Recently I was having a challenge with my husband when he was talking about moving. We just had a major move 4 months ago and I was concerned about so many of the details of moving again so soon. I was afraid of how my daughter would react, what my family would say, the physical hassle of moving. Basically, I had a fear of the unknown. I became stuck in these thoughts, going around and around and creating a wedge between my husband and I. The kids and I went down to the creek, with me feeling a bit cranky thinking about things that hadn't even happened. I wallowed in this feeling for a while. After playing half-heartedly for a while, I just lay on my belly in one of the warm shallow pools. I was playing with the sand and watching it drift slowly out of my hands and run through my fingers. I saw a little sand crab digging and wondered about it and it's life. Somehow getting outside of myself allowed me to see the situation more clearly. I released the attachment I was feeling and asked for help to see it in a new way. I asked myself "what would love do now?" and remained open for guidance. It didn't come straight away, but the act of opening myself had me open to it when it came. It was later that night, when the house was quiet. I was able to talk calmly to him about my concerns. In that conversation, we became clearer about our vision and goals and the wedge was removed.
For me to release the attachment to this situation, I needed to:
1. Recognise that there was a problem. (I was cranky and detached from my family.)
2. Recognise where the problem was. (My fear about moving.)
3. Mentally step away from the situation. (Watching the sand and the crab.)
4. Knowing that I wanted to handle this differently.
5. Asking for guidance in seeing this situation with love.
6. Remaining open.
I am grateful for being able to make the shift. As I practice this more often - releasing my attachment to a situation that was not serving me well and shifting my thinking to operate from love instead of fear - it will become easier. Already I am feeling lighter and more connected to my true Self.
"Breathe Deep...Seek Peace" - from the movie Dinotopia
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