Let go of outcomes

Some of us get attached to outcomes. We think a project or a relationship has to go a certain way.

Sometimes we get so attached to the outcome of a thing, we don’t pay attention to how that thing feels. We may be so focused on marrying that person we’re dating, we forget to pay attention to whether we like him or her. We may be so interested in that book of photographs getting published and achieving fame that we can’t recollect if we have any passion for what we’re taking pictures of. We may be so focused on everyone congratulating us for a wonderful party that we forget to relax and have fun.

We’re putting in the effort. But we’re trying to control both the flow and the way the thing turns out.

“God is in the details,” a writing teacher once said.

What he was talking about was paying attention to each little detail in our writing: the color of the sky, the texture of the couch, the nuances of the feelings of the main character, the twinkle in her eye.

There’s another way to interpret this saying, though. And that’s to trust that God is present and interested in the details of our lives. Know what your dreams are and pay attention to what you want. But focus on the details of your life—how you feel each moment, the details of what you do. Don’t be so attached to outcomes that you forget how much fun it is to live.

Remember that God is in the details, especially in how things work out.

God, help me be clear with you and myself about what I want in life. Help me learn to be present for the details of each moment of each day, doing what I do with passion.

From the book: More Language of Letting Go

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