Detachment

DEEPAK CHOPRA

In order to acquire anything in the physical universe, you have to relinquish your attachment to it. This doesn't mean you give up the intention to create your desire. You don't give up the intention and you don't give up the desire. You give up your attachment to the result.
This is a very powerful thing to do. The moment you relinquish your attachment to the result, combining intention with detachment at the same time, you will have that which you desire. Anything you want can be acquired through detachment, because detachment is based on the unquestioning belief in the power of your true Self.
Attachment on the other hand is based on fear and insecurity-and the need for security is based on not knowing the true Self. The source of wealth, of abundance, or of anything in the physical world is the Self; it is the consciousness that knows how to fulfill every need. Everything else is a symbol: cars, houses, bank notes, clothes, airplanes. Symbols are transitory: they come and go. Chasing symbols is like settling for the map instead of the territory. It creates anxiety; it ends up making you feel hollow and empty inside, because you exchange your Self for the symbols of your Self.
Attachment actually comes from poverty consciousness, because attachment is always to symbols. Detachment is synonymous with wealth consciousness, because with detachment there is freedom to create. Only from detached involvement can one have joy and laughter. Then the symbols of wealth are created spontaneously and effortlessly. True wealth consciousness is the ability to have anything you want, and with least effort. To be grounded in this experience you have to be grounded in the wisdom of uncertainty. In this uncertainty you will find the freedom to create anything you want. When you understand detachment you won't feel compelled to force solutions. When you force solutions on problems, you only create new problems. But when you put your attention on the uncertainty, and you witness the uncertainty while you expectantly wait for the solution to emerge out of chaos and confusion, then what emerges is something fabulous and exciting: This profound state of alertness-your preparedness in the present, in the field of uncertainty-meets with your goal and your intention and allows you to seize each situation, problem, or challenge as an opportunity. Once you have this perception, you will open up to a whole range of possibilities and further unveil the mystery, the wonder, the excitement, and the adventure of being alive.
Love, Deepak