Ownership is not limited to material things.  It can also apply to points of view.  Once we take ownership of an idea–whether it’s about politics or sports–what do we do?  We love it perhaps more than we should.  We prize it more that it is worth.  And, most frequently, we have trouble letting go of it because we can’t stand the idea of its loss. — Dan Ariely

The notion of our ideas and beliefs as things we own is an interesting one and explains why it can be so hard to grow and develop as a human being.  Growth requires letting go of that in which we used to so firmly believe.  Once we become comfortable within the constructs of what we think we are, it’s difficult to let go, even if we don’t like the construct!  Many people like neither who, nor what, they’ve become yet find a coincident comfort there since the known is more acceptable to them than the unknown.  Dishonest self-assessments always result in stagnant growth, and when you fail to grow, you fail in living life at its fullest–a serious disservice to yourself.

How much do we miss in life because of our attachments to who we think we are?  The attachment to ownership in particular reminds me of a Buddhist story about a father who is told his son died in a battle.  The father becomes so attached to the thought of his son’s death that when his son appears, alive and knocking on the front door, the father refuses to open it, thinking someone must be playing a cruel trick on him.

You may find it unbelievable that a father won’t even open the door to see if his son is standing there, but look closer at your own belief systems–you’re sure to find a few things to which you’re very attached.  Some people dismiss ideas and opportunities on the spot, out of fear that openness to new ideas and opportunities will irrevocably change them.  Yet their fear of change is irrational, since change is going to occur whether we like it or not–sometimes for the better and others for the worse.  Avoiding opportunities to grow and reinvent ourselves is disastrous; we have only so many opportunities in life to grow and improve and they should not be taken lightly. Read the rest of this amazing article by Mike Mahler here.