Some People Favor The Technical
And some people favor being free-form.
This is true in art, in science, in business, and in doing The Work of Byron Katie. Both technique and free-form action are necessary. And they balance each other.
If you’re all technique, even if it’s perfect, you lose the heart connection to what you’re doing. And if you’re all free-from, even if it feels great to the heart, you can miss the point of the whole exercise.
For Example, When You’re Facilitating The Work
You could simply read the questions of The Work to your client, and ask for turnarounds and examples. This would be The Work, no doubt. But a robot could do that too.
Facilitating, for me, is a balance between asking the questions (the technical side of The Work) and being myself (which allows me to be human in my interaction).
So when I facilitate, I am my same friendly, warm personality as I am with my friends. But I also stick to the questions of The Work. It is a balance. And I’m constantly adjusting when I notice that I’m either being too rigid or too lax.
Another Example Is Finding a Specific Situation
It is my experience, and the experience of many others doing The Work, that finding a specific situation when writing a worksheet is a very powerful way to do The Work.
This is a kind of technical knowledge which can be helpful. But if you obsess over this technicality, you will miss a broader principle that ANY thought can be questioned with The Work.
I often say, “Raw mind trumps all.” I sometimes forgo finding a specific situation and question with the raw, unedited thoughts that arise.
Same Goes With Using the Judge-Your-Neighbor Worksheet
This worksheet is a very powerful way to identify stressful thoughts. But sometimes my thoughts don’t fit perfectly into a Judge-Your-Neighbor Worksheet.
So I don’t use it.
I don’t let technicalities get in the way of doing The Work.
But I Don’t Discard Technique Either
90% of the time, I do use a Judge-Your-Neighbor Worksheet. And 90% of the time, I do use the power of a specific situation. But I don’t stress over it when I don’t. I just work the thoughts that arise.
Otherwise, being technically perfect becomes yet another excuse not to do my work.
It’s always a balance between sticking to the process and allowing myself the freedom to be myself while I do.
Have a great week,
Todd
“The Work can be applied to any thought that causes you anger, fear, sadness, or frustration—any thought that keeps you from living in peace.” Byron Katie, Question Your Thinking, Change The World.
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