The Art of Happiness: Detach and Let Go

What if the most productive thing you did today was to let go of everything you've achieved — or haven't?

The problem lies in the way we humans are wired. We are sentient beings, born with a brain far more complex than any animal's or insect's. Or so it seems.

But look around you, wherever you are, in whatever country. How is there still so much suffering, anger, hunger, greed, killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, false speech, and intoxication? Are you and I free from those things? How can we avoid the actions, words, and mental states that cause harm to ourselves and others?

This cycle begins at birth. We grow from children into teenagers, and eventually into adults capable of sexual reproduction. The traditional pattern was boys chasing girls — but lately, it's the girls doing the chasing, or nothing happening at all. Times have changed.

So much so that in some advanced Asian countries, statistics show young adults losing interest in having children altogether. What's causing this? Was it Covid-19 and its aftershocks? Or the advanced evolution of digital devices and AI, quietly reprogramming how we relate to each other?

I raise these questions because they're really one question: what has society become, and what have we as individuals evolved into? It's the same question of attachment and detachment, just playing out on a larger, generational scale — and it's what pushed me, at 57, to look harder at my own inner self and my search for inner peace.

Part of that search has been reflection — on the people my karma has led me to cross paths with, the ones who challenged me, both positively and negatively. Through awareness, compassion, and empathy, I've come to see that most of my past arguments and disagreements were caused by me. We all do this, consciously or not — pulled along by the "mob mentality" of a toxic office culture, or shaped by trauma from our upbringing.

But let's not turn this into a pity party.

Whatever life throws at us, we have to learn to take it on the chin — fall a thousand times, cry a thousand times, and rise back up stronger, wiser, and ready for the next battle.

The root of most of our pain and sorrow is pride and ego.

Pride and ego aren't inherently bad — they're part of what drives the mind, body, and soul. There's nothing wrong with feeling good about your achievements; that's normal, even healthy. It becomes dysfunctional when pride curdles into ego, and ego starts judging and comparing — forming opinions about others based on achievements, looks, or material wealth.

The ego inflates.

Notice what happens when it does? We've all done it. We're human, after all — not robots running on AI. We're meant to make mistakes, live with the consequences, and, if we're lucky, become better people because of them.

There are many ways to build self-awareness, practice mindfulness, and grow into a better version of yourself. It's liberating. It's satisfying. And one of the most effective paths to that inner and outer peace is learning how to let go — how to detach.

Yes, we have goals to chase and bills to pay. Yes, we need a roof over our heads and a way to get from point A to point B. But there's always a way to get there without carrying the weight of everything else along with you.

When you find the key to letting go and detaching, that's the moment your life changes. A kind of satisfaction and peace that outlasts any perception, influence, or pain you've ever carried.

This was meant to be a quick read — there's a lot more in my eBook, available now on Google Play Books, at a promotional price.

CLICK HERE: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Patrick_Ho_Seng_HOW_NOT_TO_BE_AN_IDIOT_IN_LIFE?id=Kn70EQAAQBAJ

Thank you for reading to the end. I hope it gave you something to sit with.

Today is going to be our peaceful day.