Why Write Stressful Thoughts on Paper When Doing The Work of Byron Katie?
A client left me a voicemail last week that was very insightful.
He said, “The reason that you have to write it down is because that process is the beginning of the start of the witness of experience. And the more you build that up, then the more you build that witness quality, which helps you to separate being glued to your experiences and thoughts.”
I Love This Perspective
The main reason I’ve always written my thoughts when doing The Work is that, once I write them down, they don’t change on me when I start to question them. I can’t back out later and say, “I never said that.” And I can more easily find the exact opposites of what I originally thought.
My client’s idea adds another dimension to this.
By writing down my thoughts, I can now see them as more separate from myself. As he puts it, I become more of a witness of my thoughts. I become more aware.
And The Work Is About Awareness
It starts with just becoming aware of the literal thoughts I am thinking. This alone is a huge help. Sometimes I feel better just writing a Judge-Your-Neighbor Worksheet even before I start questioning what I wrote.
And then, when I question my thoughts, I increase my awareness even more. I notice the effect of believing the thought. And I consider if the opposites of that thought could be as true, or truer.
It’s a powerful process of expansion of awareness. And the benefit is that it’s hard for expanded awareness to remain stuck and shut down.
What Do You Notice When You Write Down Your Thoughts?
I’d be interested to hear your experience in the process of writing down stressful thoughts and questioning them. What is the value of writing them down for you?
Have a great weekend,
Todd
“When we notice that we’re believing a lie and living as if it were true, we become present outside our story. Then the story falls away in the light of awareness, and only the awareness of what really is remains. Peace is who we are without a story, until the next stressful story appears.” — Byron Katie, Question Your Thinking, Change the World, p. 174.
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