Detachment is a tool. It’s not a life.
We can only float away and witness our pain body for so long before we have to come back down into the temple and work with what lives inside of us.
The grist for our healing and spiritual transformation is not out there- its right here, in our awakening hearts.
If we really want to access “the power of now”, we have to first work through the “power of then”.
By clearing the emotional field, by re-opening our armored hearts, by enlivening the body temple, we experience real presence.
Not as automatons watching our lives from afar, but as humans truly, madly, deeply LIVING our real lives.
-Jeff Brown
That Jeff Brown. He’s got it goin’ on. He knows exactly how to cut to the heart of a matter.
It’s brilliant, really, the simple acknowledgment that the past has power, and if we don’t work through the issues of our past, we can’t live effectively in the present. We ignore the past at our own peril.
Living takes work, that’s a fact. Oh sure, breathing is automatic. But living? Living takes work.
I don’t know Jeff, but I eagerly read everything he’s written, simply because his observations are so wise. He’s a modern-day sage on love, relationships and living. And he has a new book coming out next month on my favorite topic:
LOVE. I’ll be reviewing it, too, because I think he’s the sagest writer around on the topic of love.
I love finding an author who seems to be speaking directly to me, whose thoughts and wisdom take me the next step in my own journey. Looking forward to your review.
I look forward to your review. He sounds like someone who’s work I will appreciate.
I’m making that dip now (for one of my hospice clients and me of course) hmm not sure how mindful it is but my intentions are good.
It’s amazing how the past can form a platform for us to spring from, or a dead weight that holds us back. Loved this quote. I will have to investigate this wise writer more. Look forward to hearing about the new book!
Wow—that is awesome. I think I am definitely going to have to find this Jeff Brown and read more! Thank you for sharing and adding a great moment to my already great day!
I tire of the past. There comes a time when we truly have to live in the moment. But–and this to me is the biggest but in life–the past is always being reframed and shaped according to who we are today
And this summer I went to a reunion of about 50 of my closest college friends. (Large crowd I somehow was in. ) We all really did have different memories of the same events–the events that shaped the adults we became
I always get so easily distracted by regrets, worries or other people. Thank you for sharing Jeff’s call to be more present in the moment and in my own skin.
Somehow we seem to be on the same channel today, Carol. 🙂 For me, changing the story of our past has helped me feel compassion for those involved…and that feels very freeing.
Hi Carol…I definitely agree that the past can trip us up if we have deep unresolved issues buried deep inside of us.. and I also agree that “The grist for our healing and spiritual transformation is not out there- its right here, in our awakening hearts.” But something about Carolyn Myss’ work about letting go of the past rings true to me. And if we aren’t careful we can get stuck in the muck of the past and completely forget about the now. I will look forward to your review of his book to flesh some of the ideas out more deeply. ~Kathy
Love the words : “If we really want to harness the power of now, then we first of all have to work through the power of then.” Absolutely agree that the past is another country.
Detachment is a tool…..wow, that’s a great thing to think about. It reminds me that detachment is something that can be used in a positive way to protect ourselves and sometime distance ourselves so we can get some prospective. Thanks for Sharing! Virginia- FirstClassWoman
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I love finding an author who seems to be speaking directly to me, whose thoughts and wisdom take me the next step in my own journey. Looking forward to your review.
Me, too, Karen! Love that dip, BTW.
I look forward to your review. He sounds like someone who’s work I will appreciate.
I’m making that dip now (for one of my hospice clients and me of course) hmm not sure how mindful it is but my intentions are good.
I’m making that same dip soon!
It’s amazing how the past can form a platform for us to spring from, or a dead weight that holds us back. Loved this quote. I will have to investigate this wise writer more. Look forward to hearing about the new book!
Yes, it’s true, double-edged sword.
Thanks for sharing Jeff Brown with us, I’m not familiar with his work and it sure resonates with me, as well!
You might want to pre-order his new book and buy Soulshaping, one of this others, that I loved.
Wow—that is awesome. I think I am definitely going to have to find this Jeff Brown and read more! Thank you for sharing and adding a great moment to my already great day!
You won’t regret reading him!
I tire of the past. There comes a time when we truly have to live in the moment. But–and this to me is the biggest but in life–the past is always being reframed and shaped according to who we are today
And this summer I went to a reunion of about 50 of my closest college friends. (Large crowd I somehow was in. ) We all really did have different memories of the same events–the events that shaped the adults we became
I hadn’t thought of it that way, but yes!
I always get so easily distracted by regrets, worries or other people. Thank you for sharing Jeff’s call to be more present in the moment and in my own skin.
Jeff’s got it goin’ on.
Somehow we seem to be on the same channel today, Carol. 🙂 For me, changing the story of our past has helped me feel compassion for those involved…and that feels very freeing.
That’s a good point–accessing compassion is a great way to handle the past.
I love this post Carol. Jeff Brown gets it!
He does get it. More men need to!
Hi Carol…I definitely agree that the past can trip us up if we have deep unresolved issues buried deep inside of us.. and I also agree that “The grist for our healing and spiritual transformation is not out there- its right here, in our awakening hearts.” But something about Carolyn Myss’ work about letting go of the past rings true to me. And if we aren’t careful we can get stuck in the muck of the past and completely forget about the now. I will look forward to your review of his book to flesh some of the ideas out more deeply. ~Kathy
It’s definitely a danger…the muck is always there….
Love the words : “If we really want to harness the power of now, then we first of all have to work through the power of then.” Absolutely agree that the past is another country.
“another country” — oh yes!
Detachment is a tool…..wow, that’s a great thing to think about. It reminds me that detachment is something that can be used in a positive way to protect ourselves and sometime distance ourselves so we can get some prospective. Thanks for Sharing! Virginia- FirstClassWoman
It’s a different way to look at it–I thought it was interesting, too.