Can we detach from an outcome while giving 100% effort towards it?

The Buddhists say yes.

So do yogis, long term meditators and the creative genius, Seth Godin.

But why is it so difficult?

Whatever we do, we expect something in return. We buy someone dinner because we want a customer, love or sex. We start a company to get rich. Work on social causes for social approval. Strive to solve hard problems to win hero status.

Michael Singer says humans want only two things:

1. To get what we want
2. To not get what we don’t want

We aren’t motivated by the outcome, we’re motivated by what we think the outcome will give us.

Everything I’ve ever done was about avoiding what I didn’t want and replacing it with what I do want.

Doing so means fighting against reality.

But reality will win 100% of the time.

Today, my purpose in life is to remove my ‘self’ so I can do what needs to be done, in reality.

And that’s where detachment from outcomes comes in.

Because if I’m attached to an outcome, a predetermined thing based on my wants and not wants, I will try to shift reality to meet my own selfish needs.

I liberate myself by putting in 100% effort while being detached from the outcome.

The outcome of that = more generous work, better outcomes for others and a step on the path towards my own liberation.