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Week 16 - Let go of something

One change each week. This week: Let go of something.

One of the great lessons in life is to learn to become unattached.

Become unattached to people, places, and things. Unattached to outcomes.

The essential problem is that we humans get all bound up in situations that are not to our liking. Examples are not hard to find. We get attached to what the politicians are saying and doing (or not saying or not doing), certain irritating habits that our loved ones display, things that we have to do at work to keep the boss happy.

We don't like these things. We want these things (or people) to change. And then we get attached to them. We try our best to get these people and things to change.

Hoping or trying to get someone else to change is a huge waste of effort, and the source of a great deal of personal dissatisfaction.

Truth is, we can change ourselves, and we can't change anything or anybody else.

My example for this week is my daughter, who is 12, and who thoroughly enjoys pointing out how Daddy is wrong.

I've wasted a good deal of effort trying to get her to stop doing this.

The solution: I have to let go of it.

It's really so simple. I simply let go of the fact that my daughter likes to point out how wrong I am.

Immediately, two amazingly wonderful things happen: (1) She and I do not get tangled up in the "yes it is, no it isn't" battles. (2) The behavior that used to drive me nuts no longer does.

I let go. My life gets better. (Hers does too.)

What about you?

Can you find one thing in your life that is making you miserable, and just let go of it? Sure you can. Now, go out and do it.

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Ross Runkel, Post Office Box 1031, Salem, Oregon 97308-1031.
Phone 503-399-8028.  Fax 503-566-8844.  email Ross@LawMemo.Com