Day 220: Appreciation Without Attachment
I was reading in Alan Cohen's book, The Mystical Messiah, that Jesus spoke of the kingdom of heaven eighty times, regarding it as an exalted state can enjoy within life.
No suffering that must be done, hoops to jump through, or duties to perform before we are worthy.
Jesus said, "the kingdom of heaven is within you".
There's nothing you have to do to be worthy of living heaven on earth right now.
It's baked into you as a human.
It's only a matter of allowing it to come through you, as you. Meaning you must choose to allow joy, love, peace, happiness, and all forms of abundance to come into your life by welcoming it.
Alan went on to say:
"We reach for happiness through a romantic partner, fancy home, prestigious job, travel to exotic places, and amassing stuff. While it's perfectly fine to have all of these and more, to really enjoy them we must keep our priorities in order.
"Seek first the kingdom of heaven, and all these things shall be added unto you." When you make inner peace your first priority, whatever you need in the world will come easily and effortlessly, by grace. The universe has your back."
The important thing is that we tune in to the feelings, the emotions. Raising our vibrational frequency to a point where all those positive emotions become part of our everyday lives, is what makes it heaven on earth.
Then we can also allow any form of abundance we want to flow through our lives.
There is a big difference in the energy we hold when we look to the relationship, money, house, etc., to save us, to fill the emptiness.
That is forcing, pushing. It's desperate energy that carries a lower emotional frequency.
That's why people find themselves struggling to hold on to those things, only to find they don't bring the peace or happiness they thought they would.
But when you come from a place of already living in those higher emotions, you can have all those things and enjoy them without being attached to them, because you realize that's not where your safety lies.
In the mornings I spend at the motorhome, I've moved my spiritual practice back outside with a fan blowing on me to keep at least a few of the swarming mosquitos away.
Yes, it's hot and humid and I could be inside with the A/C on, but being outside reminds me of how massively appreciative I am of everything I see around me.
I'm so glad I chose the same wire fence, with smaller openings, that my neighbors have because it almost disappears when I look through it.
I can see the quail families taking their walks in the early morning because I can see all the way to the ground. Woodpeckers, cardinals, hummingbird, orioles, and so many other birds moving in and out of trees and bushes all around me.
And of course, watching the light dance across the ocean.
There was a time when I held an attachment to living in the penthouse. There was the reality of the things I enjoyed about it, the views, the rooftop patio that made me feel I had my own little mountaintop hideaway.
That wasn't the attachment. That was appreciation.
Appreciation feels open, while attachment feels like needing the thing to stay in place so you can feel okay.
The attachment was the image of living in a penthouse with more than a 300 degree view. Almost like surveying my kingdom. An attachment to saying 'penthouse'.
And then it started to fade, seemingly all by itself. But really, it was a shift inside me. Something was changing and I no longer needed the attachment.
What I truly valued shifted and the motorhome showed up. I would spend time in it once in a while. I liked where it lived, but I didn't love it. What I loved about that location was its beach.
As things continued to shift in me, and I began to appreciate the small space of this motorhome, I was open to spending more time.
And then moving it to a different location.
At first, not the right space for me. So I waited and watched for something that was a vibrational match to my desires, specific to me.
And it almost came, but not quite. I thought I wanted something different than what was showing up. It didn't look exactly as I pictured.
That happens quite often when we're specific. There's a reason that what we get is actually better than what we asked for, and it can take some time before that's revealed.
But, it all worked out because I changed. All the shifts needed were inside me. As I became clearer, my vibration became more consistent and clear.
And now I'm living this little piece of my heaven on earth.
Will this be my place forever? Probably not. Because I'm always growing and changing.
Could this be my place for many years? Yes, it's possible.
At the same time I love it, I'm not attached to it.
That feels very different than needing a place, a view, a title, a relationship, a job, or anything else outside of me to prove I am safe or successful or okay.
The peace has to come first.
Then the outer things become something to enjoy, not something to cling to.
And that's the key to finding your heaven on earth.
Appreciation without attachment or demands.
Today's Gentle Practice
Think about one thing in your life that you truly appreciate.
Ask yourself:
Can I enjoy this fully without needing it to be the source of my peace?
Let yourself feel the appreciation.
The beauty.
The comfort.
The blessing of it.
Then remind yourself that peace begins within you, and everything outside of you is something you are allowed to enjoy without clinging.
With you,
Lynn
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