Intention and Attachment in the New Year
by Barbara Reid
At the start of the year, earthly and cosmic forces seem to pull us to envision our highest possibilities. Each year the pull grows stronger as we move toward the millennium. For the past two Januarys, I have written articles in The New Times on ways to harmonize with these forces in order to bring our dreams to fruition.
This year, I want to address the very essence of this process. Why is it that when Aziz sets a goal, he achieves it, but when Jamal sets a goal, it fizzles? Why does Sari seem to have everything she wants in life, while Hata seems to struggle?
Of course there is never only a single cause for any effect, so the answer is not simple. But if we agree that these life patterns are related to our life purposes, then we can begin to gain perspective, which may free us from the traps of struggle and so-called failure.
First of all, how do you know what you would like to achieve or become? Desire is an obvious clue. When we become aware of something we want, that awareness can point the way to our highest expression as earth-dwelling spirits. We need to probe this territory to see where each desire leads.
For example, I may say I want a lot of money. Why? Because I think money will bring me the freedom to travel. Why is travel important? It frees me from the workaday world of survival, and also enables me to connect with people who are different from me. What’s good about that? I feel the need to be lifted, once in a while, from daily survival, in order to remember that my spirit is bigger than that. I also believe we all need to develop a global sense of humanity.
Through this chain of thought, I can see that I would like enough money to travel and be a connector of humanity. This statement of intention, distilled out of my original desire for money, will color how I wish to bring in the money (for instance, through investment in companies that do not sell weapons or cigarettes to third-world nations) as well as how I plan to use the money (for instance, in a type of travel that would put me in direct contact with the people in different countries).
Each desire, no matter how small, can lead us toward our highest expression of self. But desire has gotten a bad rap over the centuries.
Desire has been described as the root of all suffering. This seems true to me, but that does not make desire bad. Desire can also be a reminder of our yearning for oneness with the creative source of all. My view is that attachment to our desires is at the root of suffering. What is the difference? To desire something can be as mild as to feel a preference for that thing: I desire a comfortable easy chair; I would like to have one. If it comes into my life, that would be nice. If not, I’m a whole and complete being anyway. Attachment is a belief that I must have that thing, and I may go through my life feeling dissatisfied, diminished, or somehow "not okay" because I don’t have the chair of my dreams.
Now, this example is obviously silly, yet it illustrates the principle. Many of us have had surprising experiences with something we wanted showing up in our lives, to our great delight. At other times, something we wanted very much seemed just within reach and then was snatched away in one way or another.
I want to emphasize that there is no blame, shame, or guilt to be assessed because you, or someone you know, are not achieving what you want. There are many reasons for the interception of our aims. I firmly believe that sometimes the Creator is helping me see something newer or higher by holding back from what I desire. But often, the stumbling block is my own attachment to my desires. Attachment to our desires is at the root of suffering.
Attachment can form a wall or barricade between us and what we want. To make matters more confusing, we are most often unaware of our attachments. Moreover, our economy (the current driving force of our society) is based on stirring up ever-new desires and attachments in everyone, in order to make us rely on the outer world for our happiness. The aim is to continually increase our sense of need, thus increasing the purchase and consumption of products.
Many advertising tactics involve keeping us unaware of our own desires and attachments. We would surely rebel if we realized, "I am in the card shop right now because I want my mother to look at me the way that woman in the ad looked at the girl, and that gaze meant real love, and that love resulted from just the right greeting card."
So the dominant culture is invested in keeping us in ignorance of our real motivations, and thus out of touch with our own ability to manifest what we want. The greatest gift we can give ourselves is awareness of our attachments. Once we see how we are blocking our success, we can dismantle the wall between us and our ideals. But how do you make an invisible shield visible?
Many times ascended master Djwhal Khul has led me through a process of identifying and releasing attachments. As with other spiritual endeavors, self-knowledge and inner clarity moves into deeper levels each time we do the work. In all humility, I must say the attachment work is never finished as long as we are on this plane!
Attachment work is very powerful, and it is to be undertaken with the greatest care. You may have had an experience of believing you could not live without something or someone, only to lose that thing or person. That is one way of eliminating attachments, and it can be a very painful way. The method outlined here is gentler. Often a guide or coach can be very helpful in this process.
Formulate a vision or goal you would like to achieve this year. Then take meditative time to access your highest knowing. By communicating with your divine guides, receiving the wisdom of your soul, or viewing your life through your third eye, you can perceive the attachments that are limiting you. Then you can consciously work with your inner energetic patterns to shift these attachments and expand your creative power.
Questions to ask in the process include: Do I think I have to have this vision happen a certain way? Will I label myself a failure if this vision never comes true in the physical plane? Am I concerned that my image will suffer in my own eyes or those of others if I don’t achieve this goal? Can I live without it? Can I be happy without it?
In ancient mystical teachings, the rule of manifestation was taught as: Know, dare, will, and be silent. The ascended masters Kuthumi and Djwhal Khul teach a practical example of this rule. They describe the way to create what we want: (1) Hold an intention with our mental power; (2) Feed that intention with emotional energy; (3) Continually release attachment; (4) Be ready for, and observant of, any results.
As a new year begins and you find yourself drawn to create on Earth plane the greatest expression of who you are spiritually, identify your desires. Create a declaration of what you intend, and hold that vision in your mind (know your goal mentally). Every day, bring enthusiasm and joy to that vision (dare to invest yourself emotionally). Meditate with your soul wisdom, and identify and release attachments as often as needed (use your will to truly let go). And, like the wise gardener, don’t dig up the seed to see if it’s sprouted, but have faith that there are results, and watch closely for them, realizing that they may not look like anything you expected! (Be silent and patient.)
We are designed to be co-creators of our lives, sharing that task with the Source of all. While we are about that wonderful work, with all its complexities, let us be thankful for our inner knowing, spiritual guidance, and the help and support that we exchange with others on the planet.
Barbara Reid channels Ascended Master Djwhal Khul. Together they work with spiritual energy, emotion, and thought to help clients identify and release blocks to full joy, such as attachments, hindering beliefs, and confusion. Understand your soul purpose, meet your guides, and manage the learnings contained in your current experiences. Telephone sessions available. Regular group classes; free sample newsletter. (206) 783-4185.
