It wouldn’t be an understatement to say that the world has been pretty crazy lately, whether it stems from politics, COVID-19 and restrictions, or the constantly growing list of historical events that we are all living through. It can even be crazy in our everyday lives with busy schedules, social media, visiting friends and family, and everything else that fills our time. With so much going on around us, it can get rather overwhelming. I’ve found that a solution to that can be to implement the Law of Detachment. Originally spiritual in nature, this law can be practiced by anyone no matter what religion or spiritual beliefs you subscribe to.
What is the Law of Detachment?
The word “detachment” can sound negative, and almost like you’re meant to be isolating and removing yourself from goals and activities that mean a lot to you, but that’s not really the case. Detaching really means to let go and be present in your life. It’s freedom that you allow yourself to have instead of worrying about everything in your life.
For example, if you are in a negative situation, you might be concerned about all of the possible outcomes of that situation, and you become stuck in that harmful thought pattern of worrying and overthinking. In this situation, detachment would allow for you to have the mentality of stepping back from the situation and allowing what is meant to happen, happen.
Detachment is realizing that you can’t always change the people, circumstances, or the world around you. When we have a problem with things in our life, we often try to look for the easiest and quickest solution and force our own views onto other people. If you have the mindset of detachment, you will be able to realize that it is okay that you can’t change people around you. You become more comfortable with the things that are happening around you, and you can focus more on yourself. By having the time and energy to focus on yourself, you realize that you can’t control everything, but you can control yourself. You can control your reactions and how you choose to approach challenging situations in your life.
How does detachment show up in everyday life?
This can also come into play in another situation. For example, if someone is treating you poorly or being rude to you, detachment allows you to realize that you can’t change that person’s actions, but you can change how you approach them. You can take a step back and think about how that person made the choice to be hurtful, but you can make the choice to not reciprocate that behavior and be mature in the situation.
Part of practicing detachment means accepting the uncertainty of life. When you are so caught up trying to control and stress over every detail of your life, it becomes no fun. Detachment encourages you to let go of those smaller details, and discourages the micromanagement of everything you do. Without the worry and stress in the way, you can focus more on the meaningful things in life, as well as the bigger picture overall.
The concept of detachment can also be considered in relationships. Detaching in a relationship doesn’t mean that you don’t care about your partner, or that you don’t love them. It helps you to realize that if you have relationship problems, they won’t last forever, as well as realize that the relationship itself might not last forever. It is okay that some relationships won’t last forever, and acknowledging that can help you to focus more on the present and enjoy being with your partner in the moment. You won’t try to control them, your relationship will most likely be much more abundant and amiable. If the relationship should come to an end, it will be easier to move on if detachment is practiced.
Drawing conclusions…
The law of detachment can seem a bit negative at first, but it really isn’t at all. It allows you to have more freedom and calmness in your life, and allows you to be more in the moment in whatever situation you may be in. Even though life can be really stressful in the world that we live in, practicing the law of detachment can help assuage worries and fears that may arise.
Sources: