Today we’re going to talk about the Buddhist teaching of non-attachment, and how cultivating it can benefit you in a big way – not only in writing, but in life!
In my last blog, I said I’d start cultivating non-attachment myself, as a way of getting over my fear of rejection and also as a way of getting more stuff done.
I’ve been very frustrated by my lack of writing productivity lately. You can read the full blog here.
Benefits of non-attachment in life
In Buddhism attachment to desire is considered to be a cause of suffering.
Attachment involves clinging to things such as thoughts, self-concepts, emotions, outcomes, relationships and material goods. It places conditions on happiness.
We hinge our inner contentment and peace on getting and having external stuff that’s impermanent and subject to constant change, and when reality doesn’t meet our expectations, we begin to suffer.
Clinging to thoughts and emotions, for example, often causes sadness and depression.
Needing things to be a certain way can often cause anxiety.
Non-attachment is all about letting go of the stuff we cling to. It’s about release from desire.
WORD OF THE DAY: HIPPOTHERAPY. Meaning to help people by putting them on horses (not hippos!).
By embracing non-attachment, we’re more able to take life as it comes, lowering feelings of anxiety and stress.
it benefits relationships too, as we can enjoy relationships with others without needing to possess or control them.
It also promotes greater emotional stability, inner peace and personal growth and lowers feelings of stress, anxiety, and sadness.
I really like the idea of practicing non-attachment, as I’ve often felt drained worrying and fixating on the future.
Non-attachment promotes the present, not future outcomes, experiencing the moment for what it is.
Non-attachment doesn’t mean you can’t have goals, or work towards meeting those goals. I’ve still got plenty of ambitions! Have goals, but continue to work on being less attached to outcomes, knowing there’s a chance they may not happen. Learn to live in the present.
Benefits of non-attachment in writing
I’m now going to talk about the benefits of non-attachment in writing, but this could also be applied to any endeavour.
It helps overcome the fear of failure
Non-attachment helps us overcome a fear of failure, which can paralyze creativity. When we’re not attached to the outcome, we can write more freely, leading the way for more innovations and breakthroughs.
It helps us to let go of writer’s block
Writer’s block can often stem from the pressure to produce perfect work. Non-attachment helps us to let go of rigid expectations and allows our creativity to flow naturally. This openness can help to dissolve writer’s block, allowing us to write with greater joy.
It enhances creativity through mindfulness
Non-attachment is closely linked with mindfulness, the practice of being fully present in the moment. Practicing mindfulness helps us to tap into our subconscious, where many of our best ideas reside. Being fully present while writing helps us to capture fleeting thoughts and ideas that might’ve otherwise gone unnoticed.
Your first efforts are gonna be really bad. It’s what I call the ‘it’s all crap stage’ of the creative process. We all go through it. And we learn things from it and we gain skills. But here’s the secret. It’s not the end product that matters. It’s enjoying the process of learning and discovery, of stretching your brain in different ways.
Cathy Pickens
It helps us to become emotionally resilient
The writer’s path is often fraught with criticism and rejection. These experiences have the potential to damage our self-esteem and may even cause us to abandon our writing altogether.
But when we’re not attached to the opinions of others, we can view rejection as an opportunity for growth, rather than a personal failure.
We build emotional resilience, allowing us to persevere through the ups and downs of being a writer.
It helps us find joy in the process
This is one of my favourite benefits of non-attachment in writing. Instead of fixating on the outcome of your novel or short story and tying yourself up in knots about it, you find joy in the act of writing itself.
Writing then becomes a pleasurable journey of exploration and self-expression, instead of just a means to an end.
When we focus on the process rather than the result, we’re more likely to experience a state of flow, where our creativity gets fueled and writing feels deeply satisfying and fulfilling.
How do we attain a state of non-attachment?
Some of the things that may help us attain a state of non-attachment include:
Learning to live in the present moment, instead of the past or future.
Learning to observe your thoughts and feelings, instead of identifying with them (mindfulness meditation can often help with this, allowing thoughts and feelings to come and go as we meditate).
Recognise that everything and everyone is impermanent and transient.
For further reading on Buddhism, try 24/7 Dharma by Dennis Genpo Merzel.
WRITING PROMPT: Write a passage on the subject of your choice, with an attitude of non-attachment to the outcome.
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