What Are You Hanging Onto?

It’s my assessment that the power Jung is referring to is the power over people, places, situations, and things. It’s the forceful ego energy that wants what it wants when it wants it, no matter what. It’s the forceful push and shove of arguments, desires, conflicts, and wars. It infects every aspect of our lives and is enhanced by our temporary tunnel vision. It’s a desire and attachment to the shadow of what’s always passing away.

Sharon Salzberg writes in her book Loving-Kindness: “Desire – grasping, clinging, and greed is an Attachment, a state of mind that defines what we think we need in order to be happy. We project all our hopes and dreams of fulfillment onto some object of our attention. This may be a certain activity or outcome, a particular thing or person.That fixation and that alone, at that time, we believe will make us happy.”

Have you ever been infatuated with some idea or person only to look again in a few days, weeks, or months to wonder with dismay what it was all about? Maybe you’re in the midst of a compelling desire or attachment right now and think it has to be fulfilled for you to be fulfilled. If so, step back and look at the bigger picture. Look at this as a pattern and realize, like so many times before, that it’s just another shadow image.

What does it really profit you? What will be the next desire, attachment, person, place, situation or thing you’ll reach out for that won’t satisfy your hungry heart? What’s really going on here? Is it possible that what you’re looking for in the outer world is only a shadow of what lies within? Could it be that the longing you experience is simply a pointer to that which you already have? Who are You and where is your love lacking?

What if we lived in a holographic universe rather than a mechanical one? In the holographic universe the whole is greater than the sum of it’s parts and every part has the wholeness of the holograph within it. Would that not mean that everything you seek outside yourself is actually a part of you? Could it be that all the everyday running around, desire, and attachment to externals is simply a misdirected impulse to connect with what we’re separated from within? Could the mystics and scientists be onto something we need to get in touch with, including the ever present power of Love?

What I’ve come to deeply understand is that clinging, hanging on, power over, and attachment is addictive. Only in surrender and love, which is an ongoing process, do we find liberation. The suffering is minimized while the joy and peace is maximized.

In Stillness is Awareness. In Trust is Letting Go. In Observation is Attention. In Presence is Peace. This ongoing practice taps into the True Authentic Power of the Infinite Energy of Universal Love and changes everything. What’s holding you back? What are you hanging onto that’s diminishing the fullness of your passionate service? Really???