One bad apple can spoil the bunch. And being around a person in a bad mood can ruin our day as well. But the freedom of detachment allows us to care for others without being infected by their moods.
It’s hard to remain joyful around the doom and gloom of others.
Their bad mood, whether justified or not, tends to take us down as well. And resentment might even take root because of how they made us feel.
But we have more freedom here than we often allow ourselves to experience.
We don’t have to take on the moods of those around us.
Detachment reminds us that our thoughts and feelings remain separate from others.
Certainly, we can laugh and cry with others as they go through the various ups and downs of life. This is part of how we care for them and communicate the importance of their experience.
At the same time, our thoughts and emotions remain free.
Someone else’s bad day doesn’t have to be our bad day.
And practicing this freedom actually gives us the needed breathing room to truly care for the other without suffocating in their emotions.
If their mood takes us down, then we both end up in a pit of gloom.
But as we maintain a healthy distance, we’re able to offer our strength – a shoulder to lean on or our encouraging word to lift them up.
Detachment here is not indifference or shutting down. Rather it’s a generous and kind engagement of intentionally creating the needed space to love freely and without resentment.
Don’t let the moods of others take you out.
Practice healthy detachment and enjoy the freedom to love well throughout your life and relationships.
Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash
