Detachment is a very misunderstood concept. Some associate the word with being unfeeling or indifferent to the suffering of others. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is only because of our unconditional love for life that we allow others the freedom to make their own choices, as well as experience the effects of those choices without our interference or judgement. Detachment does not negate empathy. It just means that we will not allow people or situations to throw us out of balance, draw us in, or overwhelm us.
So how can one remain in a positive spiritual state of detachment amid times of chaos? This is certainly no easy task. We are all works in progress and learning to operate from a calm and graceful center is an integral facet of our spiritual training and development. Centering ourselves in a higher state of consciousness is the key. Only by rising above the storm of opinions, static, and suffocating emotions swirling about us will we learn how to not be the effect of others. Only by observing the play of life from a higher perspective will we begin to see how divinely inspired and interwoven life is. Only then will we begin to integrate into our lives the spiritual principles, skills, and life lessons we have come here to learn.
If we feel that we are always being sucked in and drowned in negative unpleasant relationships and situations that we don’t want to be in, from a different vantage point, from a higher perspective, take an honest hard look at the choices we have been making. We will find that the cause of our entanglements always lies with us, and if that is so, only we have the power to change all conditions and outcomes. If we ask for guidance and patience, if we contemplate on gratitude, our experiences will gradually move towards expressions of peace and contentment. Keep balanced, our hearts open, and serve life with humility, for a person who looks down on others from their high horse will soon find themselves looking up at them from the ground.