We’re All Looking for Shortcuts
So it’s natural when doing The Work to start recognizing patterns. And to create a little template based on those patterns.
It might look like this: Question 1 (Is that true?) no, Question 3 (How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought?) angry, upset, frustrated, Question 4: (Who would you be without that thought?) peaceful, curious.
You could use those standard answers and plow through a ton of “work” in no time. In fact, why not go all the way?
Why Not Create a Computer Program to Do It For You?
All you have to do is come up with the stressful thoughts. Then plug them into your handy-dandy computer program, and out comes a nice piece of work, all finished.
You could even make it sophisticated, so that there was a pool of appropriate answers to fill in for each question. Then you could hand your computer printout to someone and say, “See, look, I’m doing The Work.” And they might even agree.
But There’s a Problem With This Approach
The problem is it doesn’t touch me.
When I give “cut and paste” answers, I’m just following a template. I can literally turn off my mind, and more importantly turn off my heart, while I’m going through the motions of doing my work.
I might even be able to fool a lot of people. But I can never fool myself. That’s the problem. And The Work is not for anyone but me.
If I try to fool myself, I know I’m skimming. I feel it. And eventually, I give up saying, “You know, The Work doesn’t work for me.” So The Work gets the blame, instead of my way of doing The Work.
How Do You Go Deeper?
There is nothing wrong with recognizing patterns in your answers. Yes, questions 3 and 4 answers are often quite similar when working widely different stressful thoughts.
Should I avoid using the same words in my answers every time? Not necessarily. I often do use the same words.
But what allows me to go deeper is my focus on the question as it relates the particular belief I’m questioning in the specific situation when I was believing it.
That Kind of Specificity Is What Gives Meaning to My Answers
I can use the same words (peaceful, curious, etc. for question 4) but I know exactly what I mean when I’m saying them. I’m experiencing them in the very situation that triggered me. And that can be transformational.
I’m not using a template to fill in my answers. I’m paying attention to the question and looking at my genuine experience in my situation. The words then come out of that.
I don’t even care about the words that much once I’ve seen my experience. The words are just a means of communicating and making more concrete that experience for me.
I encourage you to try it out. Hold the situation clearly while you’re answering the questions, and let your experience show you the words to choose. Whether they turn out to be repetitive, or not, is not important.
Doing it this way keeps The Work always fresh and new for me, no matter how similar my answers are.
Have a great weekend,
Todd
“Blocking means rushing the process and answering with your conscious mind before the gentler polarity of mind (I call it “the heart”) can answer. If you prefer to stay with what you think you know, the question is blocked and can’t have its life inside you.” Byron Katie, Loving What Is
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