You May Think The Work Is Serious
But it’s not.
And it’s not just for grown-ups either.
The Work is a way for anyone to question what they are believing. Whether you are 8 or 88.
Here’s What One Parent Shared With Me
She does The Work a lot with her children. And her favorite way to do it is on the fly. For example, her son came back from school saying that someone called him a loser.
She asked, “Did you believe it?” He said, “No.” And she replied, “So what’s the problem?”
He was off and running again immediately.
Of Course This Is Not The Formal Work
But it is inquiry. And it can be powerful. Sometimes this simple approach is all that’s needed for the wide open hearts of children to let go and move on.
But the more formal version of The Work is also valuable for kids.
Formally, The Work involves filling out a Judge-Your-Neighbor Worksheet, and using the four questions and turnarounds to challenge your own stressful statements, and open yourself to new understandings of the same situation.
And for Kids This Is Now Even Easier
There’s a new Judge-Your-Neighbor Worksheet for Children. I encourage you to check out if you have kids.
The parent I mentioned above says that her son sometimes comes running home saying, “I just have to write a worksheet!”
And, if your children don’t want to do The Work, that’s perfect too. It leaves you to do your own work and become a clearer, kinder parent instead.
Have a great week,
Todd
“Do children understand The Work? Absolutely. There are only concepts. There are no adults, there are no children. Concepts are ageless. Here’s what children say: ‘My father should understand me.’ ‘My friends should listen to me.’ ‘Mommy shouldn’t fight with Daddy.’ ‘I want you to love me.’ By the time they’re four or five, children believe exactly the same stressful thoughts that adults believe. There are no new concepts. Children are just as confused as adults.” — Byron Katie, Question Your Thinking, Change the World, pp. 94-95.
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