Everybody Loves Freestyle Skating
Because there are no constraints of any kind.
But the best freestyle skaters have also spent a lot of time doing practice work.
Practice, unlike freestyle, is structured. And it is through this structured work, that skills are mastered which can then be used in freestyle.
The Same Is True For The Work
Everyone loves the idea of freestyle work. But in their enthusiasm to be free, it’s easy to miss the basic skills of inquiry.
If you try to do a triple jump on the ice without any practice, you’ll probably fall. And similarly, if you try to tackle a huge concept like “I’m not good enough” the first time you do The Work, you may turn away frustrated.
That’s Why the Judge-Your-Neighbor Worksheet Is Recommended
It is a beautifully choreographed worksheet. A structured way to practice The Work. It will hold you as you learn your “jumps.” And it will allow you to go as deeply in your work as you’ll ever want to go.
The more Judge-Your-Neighbor Worksheets you do, the more skilled you will be whenever you do more freestyle inquiry.
What Is Freestyle Inquiry?
Freestyle inquiry is literally without rules, without using a Judge-Your-Neighbor Worksheet. It looks like this (this is a purely hypothetical example):
I’m feeling stressed. What is bothering me? I’m feeling stressed at work. Why? Because I’m not sure how I’m going to do on my evaluation. So I question, “I need to do well on my evaluation, Is that true?”
I go through the four questions and turnarounds on this thought using a One-Belief-at-a-Time Worksheet.
When I’m done, I ask myself is there another thought here? Sure enough, I notice another belief related to this evaluation at work. It is, “This is my last chance to prove myself.” So I question it.
And I can continue free-form like this for as long as I want.
This Approach Can Be a Lot of Fun
So don’t miss it if you’re only doing Judge-Your-Neighbor Worksheets. But don’t forget the worksheets either. Both are valuable. In my experience, they compliment each other.
That’s why I use both approaches. Most of the time I use a Judge-Your-Neighbor Worksheet in a very specific situation. But sometimes I stretch my legs and take a more freestyle approach.
I encourage you to experiment and find what works for you.
Have a great weekend,
Todd
“Once you feel competent in doing The Work on people, you can inquire into issues like world hunger, fundamentalism, bureaucracy, government, sex, terrorism, or any uncomfortable thought that appears in your mind.” Byron Katie, Loving What Is
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