When I was young, I loved sports cars. Yet the moment I thought about how much they cost, I would immediately give up. Then came the next wave of thoughts: How much would maintenance cost? How much would I need to earn to afford one? One thought after another kept surfacing.
If I had not understood this inner process, I would never have noticed the thoughts shaping my experience. At times I followed my desire; at other times I suppressed it. On the one hand, I believed I could not afford it. On the other, I deeply wanted it. I remained caught in a state of inner conflict.
Desire is part of the ego’s nature. Whenever desire appears, the ego interferes—creating issues, resistance, and many forms of struggle. In practicing letting go, we must pay attention to how these struggles are formed, how they arise, and how the sense of “I” is thinking. What beliefs are operating underneath? We need to see them clearly so we can make peace with them rather than be controlled by them.
I do not try to get rid of these thoughts. I simply stay present with them. I do not blame them, nor do I run away from them. With this attitude, we begin to see our obstacles clearly. The tension loosens, and what was stuck begins to flow.
The moment we hold an intention—wanting to fix ourselves, improve ourselves, or asking, “What should I do?”—we often fall into another trap. That very intention can cause the struggle to resurface again and again.
By Suzhen Liu
If you enjoy Suzhen Liu’s writings, please check out her new book, “Discover Love Within—Release Your Suffering,” available on Amazon.
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