Melody Beattie shares this today…
A friend called me one day. His shiny new car was in the garage for repairs again. “I should have gotten a truck, something practical, that would start every day and get me to work,” he said. “If ever, ever I start screaming that I have to have something and can’t live without it, start screaming back at me until I stop.”
What’s attached to your self-esteem?
Some people attach their cars to their worth. Other people can feel good about themselves only if they’re involved in a romantic relationship. Some people need a home in a certain neighborhood. Some people tie their self-esteem to future events. If I could only achieve this, then I’d be complete.
Take a moment. Look at your life. Is your self-worth attached to certain conditions?
We say we want others to love us unconditionally, but the problem is, that’s not often the way we love ourselves. We say we need money in the bank, a Mercedes, or a Gucci bag first.
Is there a certain level of success you’ve been striving to attain? Are you telling yourself you have to have it to be complete? Maybe it’s someone’s approval that you’re holding out for.
There’s an easy way to see what we’ve become overly attached to. We can ask ourselves this: What is the thing in my life that I can’t let go of and release? What makes me craziest?
Don’t be hard on yourself. We all want and need daily necessities, such as cars, jobs, and money. And having someone to love is a delightful part of being human.
But that’s a different issue than telling ourselves we can’t be happy without these persons or things. Help yourself to a healthy dose of completeness and letting go. Tell yourself that you’re complete and can be happy, just as you are. Let go of your attachment to whatever you’re clinging to. It may or may not come back to you. But if it does, you can more happily enjoy it knowing you don’t need it to be complete.
God, help me let go of my unhealthy attachments.
Source: April 3: Look at Your Attachments | Language of Letting Go
Hmmm…
Related articles
- Let go of low self esteem (toddlohenry.com)
- Coping devices (toddlohenry.com)
- Go easy (toddlohenry.com)
- Owning our Power (toddlohenry.com)
Bright, shiny objects! 