Did you feel rattled when you considered the details of the tragedy that occurred? Did you feel powerless? Did it make you angry, or sad, or frightened? These negative emotions are a clue that you were believing something that did not match the internal kindness that you naturally are.
Here is a chance to question what you were believing, and to uncover that kindness and peace again.
The Work of Byron Katie is a way to identify painful thoughts and judgments, and to question and turn those thoughts around for a more balanced perspective.
If you’re new to The Work, you can learn how to do this simple process on my website, or on Byron Katie’s website.
The purpose of this article is to look at some ways to identify stressful thoughts about this shooting, so you can bring them to The Work.
The Judge-Your-Neighbor Worksheet is a powerful tool for identifying stressful thoughts. It can be downloaded on the Resources page of Byron Katie’s website.
Here are some ideas for how you could write a Judge-Your-Neighbor Worksheet about the shooting.
It may take some courage to face the killer of your imagination and write a worksheet on him. But I invite you to get a little closer and write about him directly.
Here are some possible ways to fill out line 1 of the Judge-Your-Neighbor Worksheet (from different perspectives):
I am angry with the killer because he destroyed innocent lives.
(from the perspective of an outside observer)
I am scared of the killer because he is going to kill me.
(from the perspective of a child in the classroom)
I am devastated by the killer because he killed my child.
(from the perspective of the parents who lost children)
I am angry with the killer because he made me feel unsafe.
(from the perspective of an outside observer)
I am angry with the media because it keeps playing this story over and over.
I am angry with the NRA (National Rifle Association) because they oppose gun regulation.
I am angry at gun manufacturers because all they care about is profits.
I am angry at gun fanatics because they think more guns is the answer.
I am disgusted with God because S/He/It let this happen.
I am angry with drug companies because their vaccinations caused the killers Asperger’s syndrome.
I am upset with society because it did not prevent this from happening.
I am afraid of a future killer because he could destroy the people I love.
I am afraid of a future killer because he could take away my life.
Ideas of how to take the shaken-up feeling inside you, and identify exactly what thoughts are causing it. Maybe none of the ideas I wrote cause you stress. Only you can find the ones that bother you.
But one thing is for sure. If you feel upset in any way, there is a thought in there that you can question. There is someone, or something, that you are judging harshly.
I suggest using the Judge-Your-Neighbor Worksheet format. Once you find an angle you want to work, I encourage you to fill out the entire Judge-Your-Neighbor Worksheet (lines 1 through 6), and work through it completely.
A chance to get clear on what actually causes the emotions you experience with this event. It’s a chance to look again, and find out what is really causing the anger, or fear, or shakiness.
By doing The Work on the concepts you write down, you will have a chance to see if it is the killer who has made you a victim, or if somehow your thinking has been victimizing you.
If you would like to work some of these concepts in a group, next month’s teleconference will be devoted to this topic.
If there is enough interest, I would be willing to do a Mini Course on this too. Let me know if it would serve you.
Have a great week, and happy holidays,
Todd
We are not meant to live stressed lives. Learn how to address the root cause of your stress and find your freedom again. Otherwise, stress will keep accumulating. Learn how to break the cycle of stress here.
