Finding Freedom in Letting Go

Finding Freedom in Letting Go: The Contrast Between Caring and Loving

Today, as I drove my car, I found myself engaging in a practice I often undertake - scanning how I felt both physically and mentally. This practice, for me, is a regular check-in with my inner self. But over the past week, I had noted an unfamiliar sensation: a persistent anxiety nesting deep within my chest, a feeling that my usually sharp self-awareness couldn’t pinpoint.

For many, this might seem a minor puzzle, but for someone like me who dives deep into self-awareness as a means to spiritual exploration, this was an enigma. The anxiety felt like a weight, hovering around my diaphragm. Though occasional breathing techniques provided relief, they didn't obliterate the feeling.

Then, a realization struck. I had just finished the process of writing, editing, and publishing my very first book. Was this looming apprehension related to its release? Was the onset of something possibly momentous in my life causing this stress?

We often pour our heart and soul into our creations, whether it's a book, project, or any form of art. Naturally, once they are out in the world, we hope for their success. But, at that moment, most of it is beyond our control. All we can do is hope that it resonates with others. My deep connection to my book was undoubtedly due to the care I had vested in it. But what did this care signify?

Upon reflection, I realized that to care for something often implies an attachment. This attachment can manifest as a desire to protect, nurture, and shield whatever we are connected to. Whether it's a project, a pet, or even material possessions, this innate need to care and protect can lead to anxiety due to our attachments and what they might undergo.

But if care, with its implications of attachment, was causing me this anxiety, what could liberate me? The answer was clear: Love.

True, unconditional love for something requires no bindings. When we love, we accept. Love means accepting the present, whatever it might be, with no strings attached. It means enjoying the transformation and journey of what we've created without the constant stress of its future.

Moving from the mind's understanding of this concept to genuinely feeling it in the heart is a process. It requires tools like meditation and mindfulness to replace the anxiety of care and attachment with the freedom of love and acceptance.

I share this revelation with you in the hope that it resonates. Many of our anxieties stem from the deep care we have for things. And while caring isn’t wrong, it's the attachment associated with it that can be shackling. Instead, if we focus on loving and accepting things as they are, it frees us from anxiety, letting us enjoy the moment.

So, I encourage you to reflect upon the concepts of 'caring' and 'love'. Understand how the former is tethered to attachment, while the latter offers freedom. In that understanding, you might find the peace and clarity to navigate life's anxieties more gracefully.

Continue to join me on this journey!

Peace and Abundance Always, Peter Abundant, Ph.D