An attachment is something that we are bound, or tied to, joined with, sometimes even devoted to. There is a wide spectrum which attachment can take, depending on the object of the attachment.
There are various forms of attachment. We may be attached to our friends and family. We may be attached to a certain form of exercise or to our ipod. We may be attached to maintaining a certain status in society. Attachment may take the form of having to play a certain video or computer game compulsively. There is certainly the attachment to television, which can start at a young age. And, many of us are attached to our computer or PDA or cell phone (or all of these), whether we choose to admit it or not.
Certain forms of attachment serve a purpose in life, such as wanting to stay healthy for our loved ones, or getting exercise by taking the beloved dog out in all kinds of weather. Even getting to the gym or yoga class daily is a form of attachment that many people share. Yet, when a person is not in good health and pushes themselves beyond their capacity in order to get their exercise in, then that is an unhealthy attachment.
There are plenty of people who are devoted to looking youthful and go through numerous painful and expensive procedures to maintain their looks. This is a non-ending cycle of countless Botox injections, liposuction, facelifts and the like.
Ultimately, all these procedures take their toll on the skin and the body and what was once attractive looks glaringly unnatural. If one wants to lose weight, is the best alternative to staple the stomach so that it can’t perform its normal function?
There is the attachment to shopping and acquiring items. While it’s nice to have a few purses, how many can one use at a time? This can apply to shoes, to shirts, or other items of clothing. It can be something like pens, or magnets or cds or perfume or gadgets. Whatever the item, one should examine the utility of the object and whether it will truly be used before purchase and how often it has been used after purchase. Would it be better used if it was donated somewhere? Would someone else you know enjoy and use it more?
It is not easy to part with things that we hold dear, but ask yourself if it is the item that you truly cherish or the thought of having the item around. Letting go of things and changing our surroundings can be just the thing to bring us more happiness. This process can also create the space for something greater to enter our lives if we allow it to happen.