Five words that can change your life.

note: we link to our free guide to mindfulness and meditation at the end of this article (no email required).

​Over the years we've written a lot about topics related to mindfulness and meditation. We've published more than 100 articles here and elsewhere on the Internet, as well as a steady stream of Facebook posts and Tweets.

All of these topics share a common thread that can be summed up in 5 words, as represented in this Zen proverb:

"Let go or be dragged."

Life's suffering can be traced back to our attachments. We are attached to:

• being comfortable and experiencing pleasure;
• not being uncomfortable and not experiencing pain;
• the image we hold of ourselves as "this type of person";
• expectations we have of how others should treat us;
• what we think we should accomplish in life, and where we are related to such goals;
• the comfort of familiar situations and relationships, even if they are unhealthy;
• the things we depend on to escape reality: food, alcohol, drugs, television, video games, the Internet, each other;
• our labels, judgments, preconceived notions, and opinions;
• our fears: death, being insignificant, not getting our fair share (or more than our fair share - i.e., being on top or winning);
• the stories we tell ourselves about everything;
• and on and on.

We have attachments because we seek certainty in a world ruled by impermanence. We want to control the uncontrollable. We want to be secure.

Things should fit into this nice box we've designed - if they don't, we experience frustration, disappointment, resentment, anger, and on and on.

If we learned to let go, however, we wouldn't be dragged.

The problem is, letting go is scary. It's scary because attachments are familiar. They are comfortable. As such, you could even say we are attached to our attachments.

But the alternative - a lifetime of self-imposed suffering - is scarier, isn't it?

So why do we still cling to our attachments? Because most of us don't give attention to the idea of "letting go." We simply go through life experiencing the roller coaster of ups and downs, and we call it normal.

The good news is, if you've read this far you are giving it attention. You know there are two options:

• let go of attachments, or
• be dragged through a life of self-imposed suffering.

What are you going to do? 

I suggest being mindful in the hours and days ahead, and making note (taking an honest assessment) of your attachments. And, mark your calendar to check back here in a few days for a follow-up musing with suggestions for next steps (note - here is that follow-up musing).

Many of the concepts above are related to mindfulness and meditation. We have a free guide that will teach you how to do it (and, tell you why you should). You don't need to register or provide any information - just go read it.

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Every experience you will ever have is shaped by your mind. ​And, your mind has a bigger impact on your overall health and well-being than any other factor in your life. It quite literally determines the quality of your existence (read more...) ​