The Direction of Intention

33.

Join me in inspiring truly powerful people. Each day I will add a new thought, story or idea to support your quest and mine.

Lately I am interested in two words: the first is ‘control;’ the second it ‘attachment.’ These two words are dancing partners. Truly powerful people recognize that these words are two faces of the same coin.

It is a worthy exercise to take a step back and ask, “Exactly what am I trying to control?” Try it. Identify exactly what you are attached to controlling. You’ll learn some interesting and useful things. Becoming aware of how you dance with these words will help you grow!

Are you trying to control your future? Are you trying to force an outcome, perhaps make others see things your way?

There is a vast difference between pursuing a yearning and trying to determine a result. The pursuit of yearning is not really attached to form (did you catch the word ‘attach’?); yearning is more about the pursuit rather than the attainment. Yearning understands the necessity of obstacles to propel the story forward. A good story (a life well lived) is nothing without obstacles.

Trying to determine a result is another way of saying attaching to an outcome. A focus on a single result will inevitably lead you to think that life is only valid if it is subject to measurement. You’ll begin asking odd questions like, “Do I measure up?”  And since no one can measure up to an external standard, you will learn to play the game, you will master the craft cheating on your exams; it will be more important to be seen as measuring up than actually doing your work well (from your own point of view). That’s a kind of control, isn’t it? And then you will need to justify either your measurement or your cheating. That’s control, yes? And hide your actions. More control? And justify your hiding. And so on. It is an attachment to how you appear. That makes all obstacles dangerous and in serious need of removal. More control. More attachment.

No obstacle, no story. How do you dance with control and attachment?

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