Just yesterday I was telling a physical therapist working with me about what I do for a living.
We only had a few minutes…I had to distill down self-inquiry, The Work, investigation of reality in 3.5 minutes or a few short sentences.
I was lying on my back on a table, and she was leaning on my leg with my foot up towards the ceiling, stretching out the hamstring….the whole leg was shaking.
I told her that the idea was to consider a situation that creates stress in your life…there could be many, but you think about just one.
(The stretch was almost killing me, but not QUITE).
She nodded.
Then, I said, as you think about that one situation, I told her to identify a stressful concept that you really believe is true.
She stayed with me so far. And kept pushing and leaning on my leg.
“Like, the thought ‘he shouldn’t have said that!'” she asked?
Perfect!
Then I said, OK, so here are the four questions you then ask yourself, about that stressful concept.
1) Is it true? 2) Can you absolutely know its true? 3) How do you react when you think that thought? 4) Who would you be without that thought?
Her eyes grew wide, and then she said “HOLY COW THAT IS REALLY COMPLICATED, I mean, those are HUGE QUESTIONS! How can you even answer that??!”
I laughed! Yes, so true!
She told me to sit up and we were done. Appointment over!
Bam, she was gone.
These are indeed big, wide, expansive questions that almost seem crazy if you’ve never asked them before.
I loved that moment, aware of how spectacular the fourth question is, asking who you would be without believing that thought?
Most of us have never even considered this before.
And yet, we CAN answer these questions.
Just thinking about how you would answer them, simply considering them, is a huge step in itself.
Seriously, my journey started with looking at the first question: Is It True?
I made a face like I smelled something bad when I first heard that question.
WHAT?
You talkin’ to me?
Yes, I am.
YOU can answer these questions. And see what happens.
If you’re totally puzzled, and it’s easy enough for you to come to a Saturday afternoon in Seattle for four hours of contemplating these questions, letting the process sink in, practicing moving all the way from beginning to end of The Work…
…then come on over to a lovely afternoon of inquiry on October 19th.
That is two weeks from today, exactly.
Only two more mini retreats this year: 10/19 and 11/30.
Treat yourself to time to answer some REALLY HUGE QUESTIONS!
Amazing things can happen when you do.
If you live really far away from Seattle, then stay tuned. There are group teleclasses coming up….and the next YOI (Year of Inquiry) Group starts in January (limited to 12).
Getting It Now “When I first encountered The Work I thought it was BS, to be quite honest. It seemed like some weird flip-your-thinking scheme and I couldn’t relate. But I kept running into people who mentioned The Work—all right already! I took a class with Grace and it’s never been the same. She is so patient, compassionate, and truly a living example of The Work in action. I flew across the country to do an in-person with her. I say try it, you got nothing to lose except your stress.” ~ Rhode IslandMuch love, Grace