Carrying the message . . .

I had the opportunity to “carry the message” to a large audience at The Recovery Church in St. Paul this past week.  I talked about detachment which is the topic of my newest book, (Let Go Now: Embracing Detachment).  I have come to recognize it as an extremely key concept in learning how to live more peacefully among our fellow-travelers, and not just those who walk with us on this recovery path.

Every day we interact with dozens of people, many we know, of course; but there are many strangers in our lives too, people at the grocery, the doctor’s office, the library.  Any one of them can affect our mood if we let them, but that’s the gift that detachment offers us.  We can learn how to walk among all others unaffected by their behavior.  That’s not to say we are indifferent or “unseeing,” only that we have learned that how others behave is their business and it simply need not become our business.

Detachment is not practiced very successfully by most people.  It’s far too easy and habitual to blame others for how we are feeling.  We quite likely grew up in families where blame was practiced.  And we see it acted out in the news every day.  The conflicts in families, neighborhoods and between countries are often blamed on the actions of the “other party.”  If they had not done. . . And the cycle of pay-back continues.  No one is the better for it.

In the presentation at the church, it was my hope to reach at least a few people with the idea that life can be experienced differently if what we do in each encounter is different.  Nothing changes if nothing changes. We have all heard that repeated many times before.  And how true it is.  The important realization is the only person we can be sure will change is ourselves.  The changes we can make are simple.  Here are just a few.  Perhaps they will help to make your life more peaceful:

Detachment might be simply saying nothing.

Detachment is letting some one else’s life be theirs to live.

Detachment is walking away rather than arguing needlessly.

Detachment is accepting others as they are.

Detachment means freedom from obsession.

Detachment is practiced moment by moment.

Detachment is an acquired habit.

Detachment is many things, of course.  These are just a very few of the simple statements that I created essays about which illustrate them more completely in the book.  But the point of any one of them is simplicity of living.  If peace is what you crave more of, detaching from that which is not yours to handle is the pathway to it’s attainment.

Seek and you will find, as the saying goes.  This I promise.