The Fifth Annual Address Book Challenge

Every Year I Do An Inventory

An inventory of old stressful stories.

I find these old stories frozen away conveniently in my address book. I don’t actually have an address book anymore, but I have a contact list on my phone and computer. That’s the deep freeze.

In my contact list is an inventory of so many relationships: family members, old friends, current friends, business contacts, you name it.

So this Time of Year, I Look at my List

Not just because I sometimes reach out to old friends to say hi at this time of year. But as a genuine spiritual exercise as well.

I scan my address book to see if there are any names that make me hold my breath even a little, or that make my stomach tighten or flip.

If I notice any stressful sensation when I come across any person’s name, I stop.

This Becomes the Start of a Judge-Your-Neighbor Worksheet

Granted, to go through my whole address book might take me all year. But I like to identify at least one contact that makes me feel anxious, or sad, or angry. And write a Judge-Your-Neighbor Worksheet on them and do The Work.

I can usually remember exactly what incident in the past triggered me with a particular person. So I mentally revisit that time and place and write my worksheet from within that situation.

It’s a way of cleaning up any residual stress inside of me. And a way of opening up the way for communication again.

Will You Take The Challenge?

If you’re doing The Work, you’re probably looking for what’s left of your stressful stories.

Going to your address book, or your Facebook account, can be a way to identify any stressful thinking that’s still running in your mind. And once you identify it, you can work it.

Happy New Year!
Todd

“It’s your life that you’re cleaning up. You can’t be in too big a hurry to do that.” Byron Katie, I Need Your Love, Is That True?

I’ll be away for the first week of January. The next article will come out on Jan 9.

Get two new articles about The Work of Byron Katie every week, plus my checklist for the Judge-Your-Neighbor-Worksheet. Subscribe to the newsletter here.

If you like this article, feel free to forward the link to friends, family or colleagues. Or share the link on Facebook or other social media. If you have thoughts you’d like to share about it, please leave your comments below.