If your happiness depends on achieving your goals precisely as you have envisioned, on events consistently unfolding according to your wishes, or on other people doing exactly what you want them to do, you are condemning yourself to a lifetime of misery.
When you insist that you have total control over circumstances beyond your control, you are announcing to the universe that you know better than God what is best for you.
Detaching from outcomes does not mean that you are apathetic and unmotivated. Quite the contrary: detachment means that you care deeply, but from an objective, enlightened perspective. You know that all you can do is all you can do. You pour all your heart into your effort, and place all your trust in divine wisdom. You are fully engaged in life while humbly acknowledging that a greater wisdom than your own is at work.
By detachment I mean that you must not worry whether the desired result follows from your action or not, so long as your motive is pure, your means correct.
Mahatma Gandhi
ABOUT PHIL BOLSTA
Phil is the author of Sixty Seconds: One Moment Changes Everything, a collection of 45 inspiring, life-changing stories from prominent people he interviewed, including Joan Borysenko, Deepak Chopra, geneticist Dr. Francis Collins, acclaimed sportswriter Frank Deford, Dr. Larry Dossey, Wayne Dyer, Dan Millman, Caroline Myss, Dr. Christiane Northrup, Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen, Dr. Bernie Siegel, James Van Praagh, singer Billy Vera, Doreen Virtue, Neale Donald Walsch, and bassist Victor Wooten. Here is a three-minute video that introduces you to Phil and his book. Reading this book is like spending a few minutes face to face with each of the contributors and listening to their personal stories. Click here to read unsolicited testimonials from readers. Learn more by visiting the official Sixty Seconds website.
Tags: control of your life, detach from outcomes, faith, greater wisdom at work, spiritual, surrender, trust
February 17, 2009 at 9:32 PM
Yes, yes! But Phil, that graphic!
February 17, 2009 at 9:34 PM
Well, it’s eye-catching, you’ve got to give me that, Deb!