It’s a Delicate Line To Walk
If you’re like me, you came to The Work because you wanted more peace. But sometimes that quest for peace can become an added burden. It becomes another reason to be unhappy. “If only I were free. If only I were enlightened. If only I could break through this big issue, then I would be happy.”
There’s a fine line between interest in inquiry and becoming obsessed with making the clouds go away. On the one hand the desire for freedom keeps you on the path of inquiry. And on the other hand, it can become a stress in itself.
Here’s What I Do When My Inquiry Gets Heavy
Sometimes I’ve been chipping away at a big stressful area for a long time with The Work, and I start to get frustrated and impatient. As soon as I do, my mind and heart start closing to inquiry, and I’m unable to do much sincere probing for the truth. When that happens, there are two things that help me in my work.
First, I shift to trivial topics for my worksheets. Instead of trying to solve my big problems, which automatically comes with a lot of pressure and motive-driven thinking, I shift to the minutia of life.
Or secondly, I work with a facilitator who can hold me.
Both of These Approaches Help Break the Seriousness
When I work with another facilitator I get to experience being heard. I get to share what’s bothering me with another human being. And I can turn it over to my facilitator to hold me in my work. I love the power of two minds, and two hearts, working together to question my stressful beliefs.
And the other approach, focusing on trivial topics, is a favorite for me. I’m a goal oriented person who likes to see progress. And there’s nothing like the satisfaction of easily cutting through my small beliefs. Because they’re small, I’m not so serious about “breaking through.” And with the pressure off, it becomes pure fun to laugh at my silly ways.
I often find huge, unexpected insights in the trivial situations that I choose to work. The thing is, it’s the same limited belief system that is stuck in my big issues as is stuck in my smaller ones. Either way, I’m working my beliefs. And I’ve experienced many times that by questioning my tiny, little stresses with The Work, my big issues soften too.
So I Gain Momentum Again
Having a few easy “victories” under my belt again, I feel motivated to keep chipping away at my bigger stresses. And who knows, maybe if I only worked on my trivial stuff to the exclusion of my big stresses, I might find as much, or more, peace of mind in the end. The more I do The Work on trivial things, the more I think “All roads lead to Rome.”
In fact, I’m thinking of creating a tele-course just to work the seemingly trivial situations in our lives. If you’d be interested in a course like that, please let me know.
In the Meantime, Please Download the Checklist
Last week I announced my new checklist for the Judge-Your-Neighbor Worksheet. Many people have downloaded it already. When you do so, you’ll be transferred to my new email list. Soon I will phase out the older list, and will only send the newsletter to those who have downloaded the checklist.
Download the checklist today, so you don’t miss any future copies of this newsletter.
Have a great week,
Todd
