Election fears, terror of death and Peace Talk Episode 172

Here came the thoughts, hitting people like hail in a great storm.

I loved sitting with each and every person:

The amazing people I get to do The Work with unique backgrounds, languages, countries, ages, experiences….

….and yet all considering their minds and how powerful the stressful thinking can be.

What do we do with images and fears about what will happen in the future?

This is all it takes. This is step one:

Willing to look more closely. Willing to identify what I’m believing. Willing to feel those feelings. Willing to be with the suffering instead of push it away, block it out, try to destroy it, hide from it.

Someone joined Year of Inquiry this week, someone else joined Eating Peace. These programs already started and they asked and said “I really want this”.

They felt a drop of “willing” to step into this work more deliberately, more regularly.

Anyone can do it, if you have a pen and paper or a friend who can ask you four questions.

So let’s look at lack of safety, as so many people felt it was looming.

Is it true that you are not safe and your well-being depends on a certain outcome?

I think of all the moments I thought of this as true.

My father’s cancer and death.

A dear friend’s betrayal and silence.

A partner leaving unexpectedly.

War. Fires. Death.

(I often reacted by eating, eating, eating and then vomiting or starving for days, and focusing on the belief that my well-being depends on eating right. AFTER the other stuff already was looming).

Question one: Is it true our safety exists only if it goes “well” or our success happens only if it goes as we hoped?

No.

What happens when we believe it absolutely has to go THAT way (the way we want)?

We’re freaking out if it doesn’t go our way. We’re terrified if it doesn’t. We’re bitter, angry, resentful, depressed. The whole world appears to be unsafe.

So who are we without this thought of being dependent on something happening (you know what it is) in order to be happy?

Wow. Really?

It’s just an experiment. This doesn’t mean you should not believe it would be better if things went your way.

It’s only a way to use mind, which is so powerful, as a tool of support rather than a fear-monger.

Being “without stressful thought” doesn’t mean being passive.

Without this thought, I feel a sense of trust, of openness. Of absolute freedom and independence from conditions to make me happy.

Which feels like the ultimate empowerment, to be honest.

It feels like freedom. Even joy.

TurnAround: No one and nothing can make me endlessly unhappy, or hurt me, or keep me depressed. Only my depressive thinking, or my anxiety-riddled thinking can bring depression or anxiety (or both). I don’t need it to go my way, in order to be happy. I can be happy just because.

• My thinking isn’t safe, I AM safe, life is safe
• the election must have whatever outcome it has
• my well-being depends on my questioned thinking
• my thoughts are not safe with this condition (pain, disease, political scene, over-eating)
• something wonderful will happen
• I’m being set free

And even my thinking doesn’t need to be the problem.

By questioning the belief that these things shouldn’t happen, you can end your own suffering about the suffering of others.  And once you do, you’ll be able to notice that this makes you a kinder human being, someone who is motivated by love rather than outrage or sadness.  The end of suffering in the world begins with the end of suffering in you. ~ Byron Katie

Watch inquirers as we walk through stressful beliefs causing fear and terror. Join me on any future First Friday for this work.