Who would you be without your story?
I recently returned from spending nine days at Byron Katie’s School for The Work. Holy moly do I feel like I’ve been turned upside down and inside out—in the best way! So many of my ideas about who I thought I was were stripped away, and what’s left is clarity, openness, and curiosity.
The Work is inquiry and it invites you to slow down and get curious about your thoughts and beliefs.
The point of inquiry is to sit in the question. It’s not designed to be rushed through. If you invite your mind to entertain a question and allow it space, you may be amazed at what is revealed.
Here’s an example:
The night I got home from BK School our senior dogs got up five times overnight because they were sick. Immediately I saw my mind move into my default story:
“Tomorrow is my first day back to work and I’m going to be exhausted. There is no way I’m going to get back to sleep tonight. Why can’t these dogs sleep through the night? Why can’t my husband keep an eye on what they eat when I’m not here? He knows how important sleep is to me.”
Within seconds I saw images of all the past times our dogs got up and I didn’t get back to sleep. I saw images of the next day of me feeling drained by the end of the day. Because of these thoughts and images, I started to feel anxious, worried, and upset.
And then I paused and questioned my thinking. “I’m not going to get sleep tonight”—Is it true? Can I absolutely know that’s true?
No. I’m not a fortune teller.
How do I react when I believe the thought “I’m not going to get sleep tonight?”—like a ball of stress and anxiety. I lay in bed and see images of myself not sleeping and think about how I should be sleeping. Which keeps me awake!
Who would I be without the thought “I’m not going to get sleep tonight”—I’d be present and compassionate toward our dogs who were in pain. I’d be relaxed and notice the quiet in our neighborhood. I’d relish getting back into a warm bed and allow it to comfort me and bring me peace.
Guess what? I went back to sleep after each time I let the dogs out!
That was a miracle. And it occurred all because I caught the story my mind wanted to make up about that moment and questioned it. The default program dissolved and opened up to a more peaceful experience.
This is what our minds do…all day long.
I’ll be diving more into this and so much more at Bloom Like Spring—because thoughts are only one part of the equation when it comes to accessing and fueling your aliveness.
If you’re feeling flat and uninspired there’s likely a limiting story or two contributing to your pain. We’ll unearth that and more at this virtual event.
Until then, feel free to test out these questions for yourself. Remember, the key is to slow down and be open to what the mind wants to show you.
With Fierce Loving,
Amber
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