Finding Genuine Examples for Turnarounds Is One of the Challenges of Doing The Work
In The Work 101 course, we spend time identifying helpful ways to find genuine examples for turnarounds. Here’s one of those ways that we consider in the course.
I call it finding “examples of possibility.” These kind of turnaround examples are not hard proof. They do not prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the turnaround is truer than the original stressful thought.
They Just Open a Possibility that Things May Not Be the Way I Assume They Are
This is especially helpful when I don’t have access to hard proof—which is quite often actually.
Frequently, I’m only dealing with my own assumptions. For example, I may be believing that “he doesn’t like me.” And I’m questioning that thought using The Work. When I get to the turnaround, “He does like me,” I can’t find any hard proof to support the turnaround.
The whole thing is based on my interpretation. Maybe he looked away from me. And I conclude that he doesn’t like me.
I Don’t Know His Mind
So I can’t know for sure whether he likes me or not. So the turnaround is never going to be 100% conclusive. But just finding examples of possibility can be very helpful for me to regain balance again.
It is possible that when he looked away from me, he did like me. In fact, I know that I tend to look away from people that I like just as much as I look away from people that I don’t like. So it’s just as possible that he does like me.
This is a valid example for the turnaround. And it has the effect of balancing my perspective. It’s kind of like good newspaper reporting, which tells both sides of the story without drawing a definite conclusion
This Helps me to Unhook from My Conviction
It puts me back into “I’m not so sure.” And it’s hard to be so hurt when I’m not so sure.
I encourage you not to overlook examples of possibility just because they are not hard-core evidence.
Learn more ways to find genuine turnaround examples. The Work 101 is a three-week course.
Have a great week,
Todd
“Consider whether or not the turned-around statement is as true as or truer than your original statement.” Byron Katie, Loving What Is
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