I Will Lose My Freedom…

And for me, participating in any organization means I’m going to loose the freedom to go where I want, when I want.

That was my grandmother’s philosophy too. She lived basically alone on a farm for fifty years. And she used to quote an old lady from her youth who did the same. She said, “I like living out here. It’s the only place where I can spell “free” with a capital “F.”

Last Week I Decided To Question That Idea

Here’s the situation:

Last week I finished all the requirements to become a certified facilitator of The Work (over 600 hours), and applied for the final evaluation week in January. I had to overcome some internal resistance to “joining” the organization of certified facilitators. Every fiber of my body was telling me to run, don’t join, maintain your independence.

So I thought this could be a good subject for The Work. Here’s how it went. A simple little session. But it changed the way I see the Institute for The Work (ITW), which is the certifying organization for The Work.

I Will Lose My Freedom (If I Become A Certified Facilitator)

1. Is that true?

yes

2. Can you absolutely know it’s true?

no

3. How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought?

I feel anxious. I don’t want to participate with ITW. I don’t want to become a certified facilitator. I resist sending in my application. I see fantasy images of my life up to this point of me being an independent freelancer, outside of any control by ITW, like a cowboy roaming free in the Wild West. I see images of my life being totally controlled by a bunch of rules of the organization if I become certified.

4. Who would you be without that thought?

Ready to move forward with my application for the certification week. Looking forward to the next phase of my own growth. Willing to sell my horse, and learn to drive a car, and play by the rules of the road. I see many advantages of being a part of ITW. I feel confident, happy, relaxed, enthusiastic.

Turnaround: I will not lose my freedom.

Examples of how this could be as true or truer:

1. I can still roam free introducing new people to The Work in any direction I want. The Wild West is still very much available.

2. I can move more quickly with the help of ITW (for example, being a certified facilitator brings more exposure to my own facilitation services). The benefits of being a part of this organization are worth learning how to follow a few guidelines.

I see it’s just like learning to drive. The rules of the road are actually for my own benefit. I remember the freedom of getting a driver’s license, and it could be similar to getting certified. Being certified could be an opening into greater freedom, not an obstacle to it, as I have been thinking.

I don’t resent having to follow the rules of the road when I drive, because I can now get around much better using a car (better than a horse anyway). I’m starting to see that organizations have rules that are often there to support me, not to thwart me.

3. Any challenges that I may face working within a somewhat structured organization will show me what next to work on. In this way, being certified could help me actually gain more freedom.

Do You Have Issues With Organizations?

I found, through other work I did on this last week, that I’ve been fearing organizations all my life, simply transferring my issues with one organization and putting them on the next. I’m starting to see a new perspective.

How about you?

Do you opt-out of participating in organizations that you might benefit from because of fears about having to give up your freedom? If so, you may want to put those fears on paper and question them.

What I’m thinking now is that I might just be able to spell “free” with a capital “F” even when participating in an organization. Even with all its rules. Blasphemy, I know! My grandmother would probably be scratching her head if she knew.

Have a great week,
Todd

P. S. Slow-Cook Inquiry is an easy way to support yourself to question beliefs like this in an online group setting. Inquiry Circle