Most People Come To The Work Because Something Isn’t Working For Them
Life has become painful in some way or another. And they want to fix the problem.
This is a great impetus for starting The Work. But it can actually get in the way of doing The Work.
There’s a neediness in it, an expectation in it. It’s a set up for roller coaster living. In other words, doing The Work with a motive to fix yourself doesn’t end up being much different than life without The Work.
Because Goal Oriented Life Is A Life of Dependency
It doesn’t matter if the goal is losing weight, or earning money, or “getting free.” It’s all dependent on something specific happening before I can be happy.
And that yearning blocks me from doing what needs to be done.
The Work Works Best When Done As A Practice
What I mean by “practice” is something that you do regularly on an ongoing basis. For example, eating in a balanced way is a practice. It’s an ongoing thing for life.
On the other hand, losing 10 pounds is a goal. If I focus on this goal, then I may eat in a balanced way for a while, but once I lose the 10 pounds, then I stop my balanced eating and go back to old habits. This is when life becomes a roller coaster.
And to make it worse, when I’m focused on losing 10 pounds, I may actually eat in an unbalanced or extreme way just to reach this goal. This is the opposite of an ongoing balanced practice.
A Practice Is Fulfilling On Its Own
Goals become secondary with a practice. For example, I might follow some guidelines for healthy eating just because I feel better when I do. And if I lose weight, that’s a bonus not a requirement. Then it becomes something I can do long term. It’s not a push. It’s attractive.
Same goes with The Work. If I’m trying to fix a relationship problem, or trying to get over some stressful thing in my life, I’ve got a goal that’s driving me, pushing me to do The Work. And the moment I push, I block myself in inquiry. Pushing causes me to pressure myself, and pressure The Work to give me results. I’m constantly evaluating. And the moment I stop seeing progress, I give up.
I miss the fact the The Work is nothing outside of me at all. It is my own wisdom coming to meet the questions.
I Encourage You To Hold Your Goals Lightly
And just do The Work as a practice. At a pace that fits into your life long term. Not as a full court press to the finish line, leaving you burned out or disappointed in a month’s time, or in an hour’s time.
The Work is meditation.
I’ve been doing it as a steady practice for the past 9 years, and it has far exceeded the original goals I had when starting The Work. Now, I do it because I love being surprised where it will take me next.
Have a great week,
Todd
“We’ve been looking outside us for our own peace. We’ve been looking in the wrong direction.” Byron Katie, Loving What Is
