Day 3,
Attachments.
Welcome back.
In the last session,
We explored the concept of domestication in Taltec teachings.
We understood how societal and family norms shape our beliefs and behaviors,
Often limiting our personal freedom and authenticity.
We discussed the importance of breaking free from these imposed beliefs to live a life true to our genuine selves.
Today's objective is to delve into the concept of attachments in Taltec teachings.
We will examine our emotional bonds with beliefs and with people and objects,
Or experiences that can limit our freedom and happiness by making us overly dependent on external factors.
The theory for this section states that emotional attachments to people,
To objects,
And beliefs can significantly influence our decisions and overall well-being,
Often leading us to act against our best interests.
Attachment is a concept that refers to the emotional bond or connection we form with beliefs,
With people,
With objects,
Or even life experiences.
These attachments can often limit our freedom and happiness because they cause us to rely heavily on these external factors for our sense of self-worth,
Our sense of happiness,
Or even our sense of identity.
Think of it like this.
You have a favorite coffee mug.
You love it not just because it holds your coffee,
But because it was a gift,
A gift from a close friend.
It has a design on it that resonates with you,
And using it has become a cherished part of your morning routine.
This is an attachment.
This is an attachment that you formed on an emotional bond with this mug beyond its practical use.
Now let's apply this to a more complex scenario.
Consider someone named Alex who believes that being in a romantic relationship is the key to being happy,
And the key to being fulfilled,
And the only key.
This belief leads Alex to feel incomplete and unhappy when he is single,
And though he wants to explore other relationships,
And he does,
Being single equals pain.
This is an attachment to the idea of being in a relationship.
In both examples,
The attachment is not just to the physical object or the relationship itself,
But to the meaning and emotions we associate with them.
In the Tall Tech view,
These attachments can be problematic because they make our happiness dependent on something external,
On something else,
Which we may not always have control over.
If Alex's relationship ends,
He feels devastated,
Not just because of the loss of the partner,
But because he attached his sense of happiness and his sense of self-worth to being in a relationship.
The goal,
According to Tall Tech wisdom,
Is to recognize these attachments and understand how they affect us,
How they affect our lives.
And once you do,
They almost instantly lose much of their power over you,
Because you realize you can't have external things to have power over you.
For instance,
It's just a mug.
I don't need a mug to love my friend.
This awareness can help us reduce our dependence on external factors.
As a Tall Tech warrior,
You must be vigilant that your happiness is not taken hostage by external forces.
So here's the practice.
Discover your attachment.
Reflect on an item you deeply cherish,
Like a prized possession or a sentimental object,
And consider how it's intertwined with your identity.
Ask yourself why this item is important to you,
The security that this item provides you,
And how it shapes your perception of yourself,
Of your ego.
Consider whether it's something you proudly display or keep private.
And if it elevates your sense of attractiveness,
Your sense of wealth,
Your sense of intelligence or spirituality,
Write down these reflections and then envision life without it or without them.
How does it or its absence make you feel now?
Assess if this attachment influences your relationships,
If it influences your decision making and your personal freedom.
Decide whether you want to maintain or lessen or release this attachment.
Expand this exercise into other aspects like relationships and beliefs,
Roles,
Body image.
Observe how these attachments fluctuate and recognize their impermanence.
Being aware of these attachments helps diminish their control,
Allowing you to discover your authentic self,
Independent of external factors.
And so,
Let's sum this up plainly.
Attachments,
Whether to objects or to people or beliefs,
Can control our happiness and self-worth when they become too strong.
Identifying attachments is crucial to gaining freedom and gaining happiness that is not dependent on external factors.
What do you think?
What are some attachments you have identified in your life?
How do these attachments influence your decisions and your feelings?
And what might be the first steps in reducing the power that these attachments have over you?
How to self-baseline to measure for success?
At the end of each day,
Write down descriptive moments when you felt strong emotions due to attachments and assign a severity level to each instance.
Weekly review these instances and look for a decrease in both the frequency and intensity of your reactions.
And this will help you gauge how well you're managing and reducing the influence that these attachments may or do have over you.
Congratulations,
We've reached the end of this session.
And in the next session,
We'll learn how awareness can help us see past the domestication and attachment into our true selves.
Remember,
The more that you practice these techniques,
The faster and easier they will work for you.
Thanks for allowing me to serve you.
And as always,
Please remember,
It's a great day to be alive.
And I'll see you in the next session.
Thank you for listening and bye for now.
