Dedicated and Unattached: A Potent Workstyle
Both in my own personal transformational work and in the work I do with my clients, I’ve been putting a lot of effort into working with my full dedication. The work is quite interesting.
The greatest challenge that most individuals face is reconciling the contrast between:
- Being emotionally removed from the mission, which, paradoxically, might make it easier to accomplish the mission at hand. However, this detachment may frequently imply that you are not going as hard towards the objective since you do not care about it as much. This is the case for many individuals. It often manifests itself as putting the objective out of one’s mind when one first gets up in the morning.
- Being wholly dedicated to the achievement of the objective, which may include exerting extraordinary effort in its pursuit… But if it’s obvious that you won’t be able to reach the goal, it may be a source of overwhelming disappointment for a lot of individuals. This results in a sense of pointlessness, which we then use as an excuse to give up and let ourselves off the hook.
As can be seen, both the detached and committed perspectives on the dichotomy between them have their own share of flaws. Both might have a problem with being too loose or too tight. So, how can we make the most of this situation?
The path that I consider to be the middle route is something that I call “dedicated and unattached.”
- Dedicated: You have given your complete attention and focus to achieving the objective. You put as much effort into it as you would if it were one of the most essential things in the whole universe. You give it everything (within the parameters of practicing good self-care, of course). You set your mind to it, and you pursue it. You care profoundly.
- Unattached: Despite the fact that you are dedicated to making it happen, you are not emotionally invested in the result. You are invested in the result, but you are willing to accept it in whatever form. You have an unwavering affection for life and for the person you are.
Imagine giving a seedling, then the sapling that develops from it, and then the tree your undivided attention and care, but towards the end of the process, you realize that you don’t need the fruits that may or may not come from the tree. This is a good analogy for the situation.
One of the most important lessons that may be learned from the holy book known as the Bhagavad Gita is to “let go of the fruits” after devoting one’s whole being to the accomplishment of one’s life’s mission.
dedication to the fullest extent, yet without attachment to the results.
Imagine if you were running a marathon as if it were your life’s work, and that even if you didn’t reach the finish line, you could still lay on the ground in perfect contentment, knowing that you gave it your all and that it was still a significant undertaking.
Imagine if you were attempting to create a book and you poured your whole heart and soul into creating it so that you might assist other people, but then you decided that you didn’t need other people to really read it and put it into action. What would happen?
It is the act of offering a gift to someone without any expectation that they will accept it.
How would it feel to get up every day, give your whole devotion to the things that are most important to you, but not allow yourself to collapse each time something didn’t come out the way you’d thought it would? What would it be like to not let yourself crumble? You are willing to recommit yourself and keep going even if you fall short of a milestone, right?
This asks us to make room in our hearts for the pain of disappointment when we fall short. And after that, to continue providing our whole dedication and commitment to the cause, notwithstanding the result.
