letting go of attachment

I recently came across a website that has what I believe to be actual quotes from the Buddha; in my research of quotes, I learned that many of the quotes attributed to the Buddha are actually fake or translated incorrectly.

Two quotes stood out to me (that I believe are authentic), given some conversations I’ve had recently with friends.

“Whatever is not yours: let go of it. Your letting go of it will be for your long-term happiness and benefit."

and

“The root of suffering is attachment.”

The way I interpret these, these two quotes are complementary despite not being from the same scripture of conversation.

As you continue your Pursuit toward your authentic life, there will be things (and people) that you have grown attached to. Sometimes, you may not even realize how attached you are until you realize it is time to let it go and other times, you know you have an attachment to something (or someone) you need to let go of, but you just can’t seem to do it.

The short-term discomfort, sadness, or pain of letting go keeps your attachment in place. But what you don’t realize is the short-term emotions will quickly fade, allowing you to replace the old with something new that is aligned with your authentic life.

You avoid long-term suffering by experiencing short-term discomfort–much like ripping off a bandaid.

Take a look at the areas you are suffering. What, or who, are you staying attached to that keeps that suffering alive?

See you tomorrow and keep pursuing,

JC