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EXCERPTS FROM CHAPTER 8:
NON-ATTACHMENT
Excerpt 1: "There
are, in fact, two key problems with having attachments to
people, things, and outcomes. First, if the object of a given
attachment cannot be obtained, the result is unhappiness
and perhaps downright misery for some folks. Second, even
if one is able to obtain whatever or whoever to which they
are attached, the result is not long-lasting happiness, but
rather some fleeting amount of satisfaction followed by anxiety
about losing it or them."
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Excerpt 2: Our
culture's fascination with romantic love is really quite
pervasive. If you have any doubts about this, just listen
to many of the most popular songs during the past fifty years
or more, and you will hear all kinds of lyrics about how
badly someone needs someone else. For example, "Baby
I need your lovin'," or "If you leave me now, you'll
take away the biggest part of me," and so on. We are
literally bombarded with this type of programming in music,
and in films, books and TV shows as well. In view of these
messages, it is not surprising that so many people develop
the belief that they need a romantic partner in their life.
The reality is that whenever you approach a love relationship
from a position of need, you are actually putting yourself
into a very uneasy position."
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| Excerpt 3: "Perhaps
most importantly, it is necessary to leave behind the age-old
teaching that competition is required simply because there
are only so many opportunities in this world. As we learned
in Chapter 7, this world by its very nature is abundant,
so there really is no need to compete with anyone unless
you believe that you must. According to the renowned
spirituality author Emmet Fox: |
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God never repeats Himself,
and so He has never made two people alike, and it is for
this reason that no two people could ever do the same work,
or express themselves in quite the same way. That is why,
rightly understood, there really need be no competition.
There need be no such thing as, say, two thousand people
struggling for the same place in life. Whatever the place
may be, there can be only one person who can fill it perfectly;
and there are one thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine
other places somewhere waiting for the people if only they
will find them.92 |
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[92 Emmet
Fox, Your Heart's Desire, (Marina del Rey, CA: DeVorss & Co.,
1933) p. 2-3]
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Excerpt 4: "It
is actually very true: people are attached to the
'known' because, as a rule, none of us really like change.
We all tend to prefer the status quo because it's predictable
and therefore theoretically safe. This is the case even if
we are not content with our present situation, for in a very
real sense it is preferable to have the certainty even at
the price of unhappiness.
There is however, a big problem that arises from attachment
to the 'known': it may well prevent us from experiencing all
sorts of wonderful and positive things out there in the 'unknown'.
As Joseph Campbell was heard to say, "nothing is exciting
if you know what the outcome is going to be," and yet
most people continue to crave predictability and certainty
instead."
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